Curacao Tourism Industry: Booming!Tourism is one of the main industries in the Caribbean and Curacao certainly is no exception. According to the Tourism Board "growth" has been exceptional over the past 2 years.
The green-eyed monster of jealousy roared its ugly head in several competing Caribbean islands. What's not to like about Curacao? Really.. Europeans (30,9%) and Venezuelans (29%) seem to love it. North Americans take one-sixth(16%) of the Curacao tourism pie. That's not much compared to the raving Dutch tourists (25%). Yep, somehow Americans seem to prefer Aruba despite it's strong resemblance to Miami South Beach. But hey, that's my personal opinion! Anyways enough about the tourism.. Dear soon to be Curacao visitor here's some useful information about the Curacao island. What language is spoken in Curacao? Dutch is the official language in Curacao. However the locals speak "papiamentu" a mixture of several languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and it also has some African influences. How about the climate? Curacao has a warm, sunny climate year round with an average temperature of about 27 celcius (mid-80F) more.. Is it safe to use their drink water? Yes, Curacao desalinizes its seawater so the tap water is safe to drink. Imported bottled water is also available. What are the emergency numbers? Tourist emergency number: 917 (24 hours available) Ambulance: 912 and for fire/police department you can dial 911. What's the local currency on the Curacao island? The currency used in Curacao is the Antillean guilder, but the US dollar is widely accepted as well. The exchange rate varies between 1.77-1.88 ANG for 1 USD. What if I need a cab? Taxi services are typically found at the airport, in downtown Willemstad (Punda & Otrobanda) and the majority of hotels. In addition: you can watch this video about the Curacao island. Or click here to learn more about Willemstad and why it's considered a UNESCO World heritage site. |
