Tourism to Curaçao gets a boost from Sandals Resorts
IAN STALKER
A weighty name in the Caribbean’s hospitality industry has given a shot in the arm to Curaçao’s tourist trade.
Jamaica-based Sandals Resorts, which has upscale resorts on numerous Caribbean islands, opened a Curaçao property in June, marking its debut on the island.
“It’s really amazing to see how one brand can have such an impact. It really helps us,” Jacqueline Sybrandy-Held, regional manager North America for the Curaçao Tourist Board, said during a recent Toronto visit.
The luxury all-inclusive is one of Curaçao’s “flagship properties,” she added.
Curaçao’s tourism trade is seeing a rebound from a tough couple of years, when the island was under what Sybrandy-Held labels a “fairly strict lockdown,” thanks to Covid.
A much-improved situation has seen the ending of Covid restrictions, with visitors no longer needing to be vaccinated or tested for Covid before arriving on the island.
Air Canada is now offering winter service to Curaçao from Montreal and Toronto, and WestJet is linking Toronto with the island. All three routes are seasonal but tourism authorities hope Air Canada’s Toronto route will become year-round.
The Dutch influence is very visible in Curaçao, with distinctively Dutch architecture on display in Willemstad, the centre of which has received UNESCO World Heritage Site Status.
Sybrandy-Held said tourists will find a “European feel” when vacationing in her island, but adds that the destination also has a South American influence, unsurprising given its close proximity to Venezuela, which is visible from Curaçao on clear days.
Curaçao has a desert-like climate but Sybrandy-Held added that at times rain has the island go from dry to green landscapes.
Curaçao’s southerly location means it’s outside the hurricane belt.
Sybrandy-Held said Curaçao can accommodate beach enthusiasts but added her destination also has an “authenticity” and its cultural heritage distinguishes it from other Caribbean islands.
She said Hilton is among hotel chains found on Curaçao but added visitors can also choose from “very nice independent properties.”
Sybrandy-Held added that visitors will find it very easy to interact with locals during a Curaçao vacation.
