WILLEMSTAD – September 27, 2024 – On September 27, the National Tourism Conference took place, focusing on the sustainable growth of the tourism industry. The conference was the culmination of five pre-conferences held during the first half of the year. The main objectives of the conference were to commemorate World Tourism Day by highlighting the importance of the tourism industry for Curaçao, raise awareness, and promote participation among stakeholders on the central theme of the conference. The conference also aimed to propose actionable resolutions for managing tourism growth and improving the effectiveness of sustainable development plans through the establishment of a new implementation structure. The conference, organized by the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO), the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB), and the Curaçao Hospitality & Tourism Association (CHATA), had more than 300 participants. The opening of the conference was led by the Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Charles Cooper, who emphasized the importance of the tourism industry for Curaçao, the growth Curaçao is experiencing, and the role of each actor in the process.
As part of the conference program, the Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Mrs. Dona Regis-Prosper, was invited as the keynote speaker to share her knowledge with the attendees. Mrs. Regis addressed the topic of sustainable tourism growth in Curaçao. In her speech, she noted that “As you know, the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, contributing 11.4% to the region’s GDP, supporting 2.75 million jobs, and generating an estimated $41.4 billion in international visitor spending. These figures highlight the importance of events like today’s and continued dialogue as we aim for sustainable growth and resilience of our tourism industry.” In line with the central theme of the conference, Mrs. Regis shared the 5 P’s of sustainable tourism: People, Planet, Prosperity, Purpose, and Partnership, and added a sixth P for Peace, which was the central theme of this year’s World Tourism Day. Later in the program, various open forums were included where local experts shared their knowledge on topics such as building a sustainable future, empowering and involving our local community. Companies were also invited to share their experiences and strategies for executing their activities with the attendees.
During the final session, the participants were presented with the 12 resolutions chosen as priorities from a list of 24 that emerged from the five pre-conferences. These resolutions aim to achieve sustainable growth in the tourism industry. One of the resolutions involves establishing a new implementation structure that includes the following five ministries: the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry in charge of Transportation and Infrastructure, The Ministry responsible for the environment, The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. These ministers will form part of the steering committee, presided over by the Minister of Economic Development. The new structure was formalized by the signing of a national decree. This structure aims to accelerate the implementation of various actions aligned with the Strategic Tourism Destination Development Plan. Additionally, two consultation platforms will be created with the participation of the private sector, NGO’s, and the community. The conference was concluded with the signing of a national decree
