Travel Trends - June 2025 Curaçao’s Tourism Statistics

Traveler Trends & Insights

Despite transitioning into shoulder season, the island’s tourism momentum remains intact. In May, 58,995 stayover visitors arrived on our shores, representing a 9.3% YoY increase. This performance highlights a healthy baseline of demand even as seasonal patterns shift; an encouraging sign for property investors seeking consistent year-round occupancy. Visitor growth in May was broad-based with nearly every source region contributing to the rise. South American visitors surged by 20%, driven by Colombia and Brazil, while North America grew 16% and the Caribbean 13%. Europe (Netherlands) held steady (-1%), continuing to provide the most reliable base of long-stay travelers. On average, visitors spent 7.83 nights on the island last month vs 7.24 last May. The increase is indicative of longer, likely more immersive stays and a good sign of sustained interest even in off-peak season. Real estate owners and prospective investors should take comfort in the fact that demand is diversifying and that Curaçao’s reach across the Americas continues to strengthen, creating a more balanced and resilient visitor base. This provides a favorable backdrop for rental performance, 

Paths To Paradise

May airline traffic offered key signals about where Curaçao’s visitor base is expanding and how property owners can stay one step ahead. While American Airlines remains the volume leader, delivering nearly one in five travelers last month, the real movement happened in Latin American markets. Both Avianca and Copa Airlines grew 42% YoY while Divi Divi’s and EZAir’s gains, reinforce the importance of regional and short-haul traffic and Curaçao’s appeal as a destination for a quick getaway or spontaneous booking.   Airline patterns evolve alongside traveler expectations. Increased lift from Latin America may bring more family-oriented, mid-length stays. Homes that offer fast check-in, flexible calendars and polished presentation can outperform amidst this opportunity.

Tourism Trends & Opportunities

While visitor volumes continue to grow, the perhaps more interesting story lies in how Curaçao’s tourism mix is evolving. The island isn’t just getting more visitors, it’s drawing a broader range of them and they’re staying longer and traveling with distinct preferences shaped by region, purpose and season. For example, the island saw a 16.4% increase in travelers from North America in May - important growth. More significant though, is that the average stay length of those travelers crept up to 5.88 nights from 5.65 last year. Short, high-velocity trips like these reflect a guest profile that values comfort, convenience and efficiency. On the other end of the spectrum, European visitors stayed in Curaçao  an average of 11.19 nights. This dual dynamic underscores the value of an adaptable rental that can shift between weekender efficiency and long-stay comfort. The ability to serve both long-haul vacationers and high-turnover guests is a key differentiator. 

One of the more surprising data points this month came out of South America. While Colombia and Brazil are often considered similar markets, their traveler behavior tells a different story. Colombian visitors stayed just over 5 nights on average, while Brazilian guests, despite lower arrival numbers, stayed longer, averaging 6.61 nights. These subtleties matter when shaping marketing messages or adjusting minimum stays by origin.  

From a macro view, the overall average length of stay rose to 7.83 nights, up from 7.24 a year ago. That's unlikely a random uptick but a signal of growing traveler confidence and deeper engagement with the island. People aren’t just passing through; they’re spending more meaningful time here. For real estate investors and vacation homeowners, this creates more opportunity for curated experiences, add-on services and higher-value bookings with less operational churn.

The year-to-date travel data by country also supports this broader trend. The U.S. market continues to grow rapidly (up 23.5% ytd) with nights booked rising 20%. Travelers from both Canada and the Netherlands are also staying longer, up 8.3% for each. For anyone targeting long-stay travelers, these remain the target demographic.

We’re also witnessing more layering to Curaçao's tourism profile.  Its evolution should result in fewer peaks and valleys, more opportunity to cater to different travel rhythms and more resilience when external markets shift. For property owners, the takeaway is clear: stay agile, design with intent and lean into the patterns that are emerging now.  Being dynamic is key!

Visitor Deep-Dive Analysis

Netherlands (19,008visitors | ↓1% YoY, ↑4.9% YTD)

• Visitors stayed the longest on average with a stay of 11.26 nights in May

• Continues to drive the bulk of long-stay demand

 *** Best suited for extended bookings in premium properties that offer privacy, quiet, and space to settle in.

United States (17,296visitors | ↑21.2% YoY, ↑23.5% YTD)

• Visitors stayed on average 5.77 nights, up slightly from 5.44 in April

  *** A key short-stay market. Polished, hotel-like experiences and fast turnovers remain the winning formula.

Canada (1,116 visitors | ↓27.9% YoY, ↑11% YTD)

• Visitors stayed on average 7.66 nights

  ***Canadian visitors remain a strong mid-length segment. Canadian travelers continue to favor comfort and familiarity. Properties with home-like amenities and reliable service perform best here.

Colombia (3,977 visitors | ↑8.6% YoY, ↑8% YTD)

• Visitors stayed on average 5.13 nights

 *** Trending upward in arrivals but visits got shorter. Optimize for flexible minimum nights and quick bookings, especially during weekends and regional holidays.

Brazil (3,006 visitors | ↓21.7% YoY, ↓2.8% YTD)

• Visitors stayed on average 6.61 nights

 *** Slight drop in both arrivals and stay duration though worth targeting for shoulder-season occupancy with attractive group or extended-stay packages.

Takeaways

If May revealed anything, it’s that tourism in Curaçao is no longer just a top-line numbers game. While growth remains steady, there’s nuance worth exploring, Visitors are staying longer and arriving en masse from a wider range of regions, each with different expectations. One-size-fits-all is a strategy that no longer applies.  For homeowners and investors, this means opportunity isn’t just about occupancy but about alignment. The homes that perform best aren’t just well-managed, they’re well-matched to the moment. Stay flexible. Lean into the patterns. Design with intention.