WILLEMSTAD – September 21st, 2017 – A direct impact of $ 334.8 million US dollars is generated for the local economy from January through August 2017. A total direct impact of 53.6% is generated from European visitors who are responsible for $ 179.3 million US dollars. Last year Europeans were responsible for $ 173.5 million US dollars, a 3% increase. From North America an increase of 4% is calculated in terms of direct economic impact. North Americans are responsible for $ 76.1 million US dollars in the first eight months of 2017, last year they contributed with $ 73.2 million US dollars. The South American and other regions generated respectively $ 59.4 and $ 20.0 million US dollars this year. In 2016 the South American and other regions generated respectively $ 71.0 and $ 22.3 million US dollars. The total spending per visitor derives from the number of nights spent on island. Both European and North American visitors are staying longer on island; this reflects back in their contribution to the local economy.
262,065 stayover visitors were welcomed in Curaçao in the first eight months of 2017. Last year we counted 299,857 stayover visitors over the same period, a decrease of 13%. Despite the double digit negative stayover arrivals performance during the first eight months, we see a slightly decrease of 3% in visitor nights spent on island. In total visitors spent 2,364,878 nights in Curaçao.
63.5% of the visitors nights spent are from European visitors, representing 1,501,143 nights from the region from January through August 2017. In total an increase of 3% visitor nights is registered from European visitors. From North America, the visitor nights also increased by 3%. In total of 371,854 nights are registered in the first eight months.
August Visitor Arrivals & Visitor Nights 2017
In August, Curaçao welcomed a total of 12,809 stayover visitors from the Netherlands, a decrease of 8% compared to August 2016. Visitors from Holland stayed longer than previous year. The average night per visitor in August 2017 from The Netherlands was 11.6 nights per person. Last year August we saw that visitors from Holland stayed on average 11.2 nights.
Stayover visitors from Germany registered a decrease of 11%, counting 1,526 visitors. In August 2016 we welcomed 1,708 German visitors. The average night per person from Germany remained almost the same recording 0.3%. Last year we registered on average 11.6 nights per person, while this year we see an average stay of 11.7 nights per person.
CTB registered a total of 5,467 stayover visitors from North America in August 2017. Curaçao welcomed a total of 749 stayover visitors from Canada, recording a 12% growth. From the United States of America 4,718 stayover visitors are registered. The loss of 183 visitors from USA is a 4% decrease.
In August we welcomed less South Americans, a total of 6,294 stayover visitors are registered. This fall is due to the continuing drop in stayover arrivals from Venezuela, with 62% less stayover visitors compared to last year. In August we welcomed 2,077 stayover visitors from Venezuela. Arrivals from Colombia
performed well compared to last year. We registered an increase of 11% to a total of 1,239 stayover visitors from Colombia. Brazil and Suriname recorded respectively 7% and 34% decrease in August.
August registered an increase in average visitor nights per stay of 12%. On average visitors stayed 9.2 nights in August. Last year the average nights per person was recorded at 8.2 nights. In terms of total visitor nights a decrease of 10% is recorded in August 2017. A total of 283,521 visitor nights were registered compared to 314,743 last year.
