The tourism scene in Curaçao experienced another impressive feat in July 2023: a record-breaking 50,936 stayover arrivals, marking a 6% jump compared to last year. The month’s triumph secures its place as the standout performer of the year, hinting at a remarkable milestone of half a million visitors by year-end. And that’s not all – it’s also the first time the island has welcomed over 300,000 visitors in the first seven months of a year. To put numbers to it, 323,808 visitors have graced Curaçao’s shores so far in 2023, a remarkable 17% increase from the 275,799 during the same period last year.
But let’s dig deeper into the story behind these numbers. July’s success wasn’t a straightforward climb; it’s a tale of various markets playing their roles. While the Dutch market showed an 18% drop, other regions showed growth. Europe was down by 17%, but North America soared by 33%, boosted by an amazing 12,457 visitors from the USA. South America brought in a remarkable 51% increase, while the Caribbean region saw 23% more visitors, totaling 4,020 from neighboring islands.
The top 5 visiting countries have been the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Brazil, and Colombia, all contributing significantly to Curaçao’s tourism numbers in July (77% of all arrivals). Zooming in on the performance of these countries, the Netherlands still stands as a key player despite an 18% dip, but the USA, Canada, Brazil, and Colombia took the spotlight with their strong growth. This growth owes a lot to strategic planning – increased flights from key international destinations like New York and Toronto, alongside Azul Airlines’ debut from Belo Horizonte, have all propelled these numbers. In fact, Brazil’s visitors broke the 2,000-mark barrier in a single month for the first time in Curaçao’s history.
It goes without saying that July 2023 has been a month of milestones and growth for Curaçao’s tourism. The month’s numbers show that, with its diverse range of visitors and various markets in play, the island’s allure is poised to flourish even further in the near future.