GREATER POLITICAL AUTONOMY TO BOOST TOURISM IN CURACAO

Curacao is poised to become one of the hottest travel destinations in the Caribbean. This development comes on the heels of the country’s new political autonomy, and hence a greater say in the use of tax revenues, the leaders of this 171-square-mile island have gained. On October 10, 2010, a day celebrated by street parties at the stroke of midnight when the blue, yellow and white Curacao flag was officially hoisted, Curacao took one step closer to independence from the Netherlands.

The Dutch staked a claim in Curacao in 1634. Flash forward nearly four centuries and, up until last October, the island was governed as the Island Territory of Curacao, one of five island territories that made up the Netherlands Antilles. Today, the Netherlands Antilles are no more. Curacao, like St. Maarten, is now an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The other three islands, Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire, continue as special municipalities within the Netherlands.

What does this mean?

Some things will stay the same. For example, the Dutch monarch remains head of state, the Netherlands government will oversee defense and foreign policy, and the island’s residents will remain Dutch nationals and carry Dutch passports. New, however, Curacao and St. Maarten will share a Supreme Court and central bank and each will introduce a new currency linked to the U.S. dollar. The two islands’ will also independently collect their own tax revenues and have a greater voice in what is done with this money. This opens the door for a boost in the island’s tourism services and infrastructure.

This historic political change brings a huge potential for growth in Curacao’s tourism industry. For example, the local government plans to use some of its tax revenues to develop new port facilities for cruise ships and attract well-known U.S. and Canadian hotel chains such as Hyatt, which opened its luxurious 350-toom Hyatt Regency Curacao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in April 2010. Officials also plan to increase the number of in-bound airplane seats from the eastern seaboard.

Curacao becoming its own country is more than just political news; it’s a move that is paving the way for the island to become even more visitor-friendly.