According to Paul Pennicook, CEO of the Curacao Tourism Board, a wave of hotel developments and increased flights to Curacao from the United States indicate that “travel is back, stronger than ever.”
He cited the increase in staycation arrivals to Curacao in July, which totaled more than 34,000 visitors and accounted for 92% of pre-pandemic arrivals in July 2019, according to Pennicook.
“We look forward to continuing to grow this inbound traffic, especially as more globally recognized hotel brands like Sandals, Curio by Hilton, Dreams and Wyndham plant their flags on the island and as iconic properties like Marriott and Renaissance showcase travelers with newly renovated offerings,” said Pennicook.
Hotel developments in Curacao
The range of new hotel developments includes:
Sandals Royal Curacao, a transformation of the former Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, is set to open April 14.
Kunuku Aqua Resort became part of the Trademark Collection by Wyndham portfolio last May. The family-friendly resort with an on-site water park will offer 24 apartments as well as 189 rooms and plans to make upgrades in 2022.
The Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao Resort is the newest property to join the Curio Collection by Hilton portfolio. The all-inclusive resort will reestablish Hilton’s presence on the island (in 2019, the former Hilton Curacao converted to a Dreams resort).
Renovations and openings that took place in late 2019 and early 2020 include Curacao Marriott Beach Resort, Dreams Curacao Resort, Spa and Casino, and Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino.
Flights to Curacao
To respond to these resort developments and the influx of travellers, the airlift to Curaçao is in full swing.
American flies daily from Miami and will add a second flight every Saturday from November 6 to December 11 with plans to operate a second daily flight from December 16. JetBlue currently offers twice-weekly flights from New York JFK.
Nonstop flights from Newark on United are scheduled to resume on a weekly basis beginning Nov. 6, while the weekly nonstop flight from Charlotte will begin Saturday, Dec. 4.
Flights will resume from Canada this fall on Air Canada and WestJet.
“We are proud of Curaçao’s growth, which further supports our primary goal of increasing the flow of North American travel to the destination. We are confident that we will see demand grow, and Curacao is looking forward to accommodating that growth,” Pennicook said. .
Entry requirements to Curacao
Curacao’s entry regulations, updated August 27, require all visitors from high-risk countries (including the United States) to complete the digital immigration card online before departure, digitally complete the passenger locator card within 48 hours of departure, show proof and upload it. a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of departure and undergo an antigen test at a local laboratory on the third day of their stay.
