WILLEMSTAD – March 15, 2024 – The Curaçao Tourist Board is delighted to announce a substantial surge in stayover tourism for February 2024. The island experienced a remarkable 42% increase in arrivals compared to February of the previous year. In total, Curaçao warmly received 60,235 stayover visitors during February, solidifying its position as an increasingly popular travel destination in the Caribbean. The outstanding performance is particularly noteworthy given the month’s limited duration. This follows the strong start in January, setting a promising tone for the year 2024.
Curaçao continues to excel in market share, attracting a diverse range of visitors. Europe stands out as the primary market for Curaçao tourism, accounting for 43% share. This significant market share underscores Curaçao’s enduring appeal among European travelers. North America maintains a strong presence in Curaçao’s tourism landscape, contributing 35% of the total number of visitors. This steady influx of North American travelers reflects the island’s accessibility and attractiveness to visitors from the United States and Canada. South America also contributes notably to Curaçao’s tourism market, representing 17% of total visitors. Additionally, Curaçao’s influence extends throughout the Caribbean region, with a 4% share of visitors from neighboring islands. This even spread highlights Curaçao’s achievement in drawing a worldwide audience and solidifying its reputation as a premier travel destination in the region.
Top 5 Source Markets Performance
The Netherlands, Curaçao’s primary source market, demonstrated an impressive 36% growth, with a total of 21,784 tourists. Twenty-three percent of the Dutch visitors reside in North Holland, 21% in South Holland and 13% are North Brabant residents. Furthermore, the age distribution of Dutch visitors reflects a diverse range, with 36% falling between 45 and 64 years old, and 34% between 25 and 44 years old. In terms of accommodation preferences, most Dutch visitors opted for resort hotels (54%), while the remaining 46% chose other lodging options available on the island.
The United States of America recorded a remarkable 47% growth, with 15,756 stayover arrivals in February. Among the US visitors, 20% reside in New York, while New Jersey and Florida each contribute 6% to the total arrivals. The age distribution of US visitors is diverse, with 41% falling between 45 and 64 years old and 34% between 25 and 44 years old. In terms of accommodation preferences, 69% of the US visitors favored resort hotels, while the remaining 31% opted for other lodging options available on the island. On average US visitors stayed 6.6 nights in Curaçao.
Canada grew recording 19% increase in February, with a total of 5,136 stayover arrivals recorded. This marks the second consecutive month where stayover arrivals have exceeded the five thousand in a single month, underscoring a consistent pattern of high visitation from Canada. On average, Canadian visitors spent 9.4 nights in February, with a preference for resort hotels as their chosen accommodation (54%).
Brazil experienced remarkable growth, highlighting an impressive 199% increase in stayover arrivals, reaching a total of 3,552 visitors. This signifies a substantial rise from the 1,189 Brazilians welcomed the previous year. On average, Brazilian visitors spent 6.8 nights in February. In terms of accommodation choices, 65% of Brazilian visitors opted for resort hotels.
From Colombia, the Latin American market witnessed remarkable growth recording 59% increase in stayover arrivals, totaling 2,787 visitors. This marks a significant rise from the 1,755 Colombians welcomed last year. On average, Colombian visitors spent 5.5 nights in February, with 57% choosing resort hotels for their stay, while the remaining 43% opted for alternative accommodations on the island.
Key Highlights February 2024
Resort Stays: Overall, 54% of stayover visitors opted for the diverse range of accommodations offered by resort hotels, including large, small, all-inclusive, and bungalow resorts, 46% opted to stay at other lodgings on island.
Demographic Insights: February’s stayover arrivals continued to showcase an intriguing demographic pattern. The largest portion, comprising 36% of visitors, belonged to the 45 to 64 age group, closely followed by the 25 to 44 age group, which represented 34% of the total arrivals.
Average nights: In total stayover visitors spent 9.0 nights in February, a 4% decrease compared to last year.
Cruise arrivals: In February, Curaçao saw a total of 48 cruise ship calls, welcoming an impressive 125,210 cruise visitors. This marks a notable increase from the previous year, when the Curaçao Ports Authority reported 42 cruise ship calls and hosted 103,563 cruise passengers.
Year to date highlights of 2024
The start of the year is impressive with a total of 121,140 stayover arrivals in the first two months of the year, recording a growth of 34% compared to the same period last year. All markets of focus have been contributing to this growth and the Curaçao Tourist Board sees great perspective for the remainder of the year. The strategy to build upon its current tourism development’s success is through strategic partnerships, fostering collaborative efforts with both public and private sector that enhance accessibility and promote Curaçao as the only destination in the Caribbean you should visit to “Feel it for yourself.”
