Willemstad, January 28, 2025 – The Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association (CHATA) welcomed 2025 with a vibrant New Year’s Reception at the beautiful Curaçao Maritime Museum, an inspiring venue filled with art and rich history. The event brought together over 140 attendees, including key representatives from the hospitality sector, stakeholders such as the Curaçao Tourism Board (CTB), Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP), Curaçao Ports Authority (CPA), the Chamber of Commerce (KVK), Central Bank Curaçao and St martin (CBCS), the VBC, and high-ranking government officials, including Prime Minister Pisas, Minister Cooper, Minister Silvania, and Minister Hato. The gathering celebrated the sector’s achievements in 2024 and set the stage for a promising year ahead, with a strong focus on sustainable growth.
CHATA CEO Anuschka Cova welcomed attendees and expressed gratitude for an extraordinary 2024. “We celebrate an exceptional year, closing with 700,000 stayover tourists, over 800,000 cruise visitors, and a record-breaking 2 million passengers through Curaçao International Airport. This 20% increase in visitors and a 19% growth in RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) reflect the success of our strategic efforts in diversification, collaboration, and innovation.”
Looking ahead, Ms. Cova reaffirmed CHATA’s commitment to strengthening Curaçao’s tourism offerings through product development, workforce training, and sustainable growth. She emphasized the importance of authenticity—our talent, cuisine, diving, culture, heritage, art, and eco-tourism—to attract a diverse range of visitors while preserving the island’s unique charm. “Together, we can make 2025 another exceptional year for Curaçao’s tourism industry,” she stated.
CHATA Chairwoman Mimi Luttge echoed this sentiment, welcoming the new CHATA Board and reaffirming the association’s dedication to advancing the sector’s goals.
The evening also featured remarks from Muryad de Bruijn, Director of the Curaçao Tourism Board (CTB), who highlighted the strong collaboration between CHATA, CTB, CAP, the government, and industry members, emphasizing their collective role in Curaçao’s continued tourism success.
Minister Charles Cooper addressed the audience, underlining the significant growth in infrastructure and new partner-led construction projects across Curaçao. He stressed the importance of sustainability in these developments to ensure long-term economic and environmental benefits. Minister Cooper also extended an open invitation to investors, encouraging them to bring forward their projects and partner in driving Curaçao’s economic growth, reaffirming the government’s role as facilitators of the industry.
The event was a true celebration of resilience, collaboration, and innovation, reinforcing tourism as the largest and most resilient pillar of Curaçao’s economy. CHATA expressed deep appreciation for the unwavering commitment of its members and partners, recognizing that their hard work and dedication make such successes possible.
