- GEORGE STANFIELD NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF HILTON CURAÇAO
- CURAÇAO’S “BOYS OF SUMMER” DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES IN NEW YORK CITY "Film Tells Inspirational Story of Curaçao’s Little League Baseball Giants"
- CHATA recognizes Eduardo de Veer
- Hotel Occupancies May 2010
- Billy Jonckheer re-elected 5th Vice President CHTA
- KURA HULANDA EARNS AAA FOUR DIAMOND AWARD
- The Curacao Culinary Team for 2010 is known.
- Kura Hulanda Resorts Expands Executive Staff
- Curaçao Culinary 2010 Finalists
- CHATA Congratulates member: ArkeFly’s Fifth anniversary!
- CHATA Hotel Occupancies April 2010
- CURAÇAO’S BAOASE NAMED TO 2010 CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER HOT LIST
- CARIBBEAN HOTEL ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES DISCUSSCHALLENGES RESULTING FROM RECESSION, SLASHED BUDGETS;TO WORK TOGETHER TO AFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE
- Certificate award ceremony of the SEI program ‘HORECA training Jobseekers’ at the Academy Hotel Curaçao.
- CHATA Occupancies Q1- 2010
- Career fair winner award ceremony at the Academy Hotel Curacao
- Environment Breakfast on April 15, 2010- Sign up now!
- Hotel Occupancies January 2010
- Seminar: Food and Beverage Marketing in Recession Times
- CHATA Honors Q4 Stars of the Industry 2009
- CURACAO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HIGHLY COMMENDED AT ROUTES AMERICAS AIRPORT MARKETING AWARD
- Academy Hotel Curacao presents students with certificate for successful completion of their internships
- TOURISM EXECUTIVE BRIEF CARIBBEAN
- Curacao Chapter receives 2 awards at Annual HSMAI Leadership
- CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION FORECASTS GROWTH IN 2010
Industry Information
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CHATA welcomes the preliminary figures of the CTB with regard to stay-over visitor arrivals for the period Jan-Oct 2009.
The figures show that the number of stay-over tourist arrivals is stable and even shows a marginal (1%) increase.
A further analysis of the figures however shows that visitor nights for the period have decreased with 7% implicating a shorter average stay of the visitors.
This shorter average stay is fully reflected in the average hotel occupancy for the period Jan-Oct which showed a decrease from 85% in 2008 to 75% in 2009.
The lower average occupancy is also due to an additional 1.000 hotel rooms that have come into operation during 2009.
In order to be able to compete in a highly price competitive market, the Curacao hotels have been forced to lower their prices, which is reflected in a lower average daily rate (ADR).
The lower ADR (-20%) and the lower average occupancy (-10%) together culminate in a lower revenue per available room (RevPar) of an estimated -30%.
Compared with 2008 the number of stay-over nights Jan – Oct 2009 has dropped with 171.469 nights. At an average room rate of US$ 100 total room revenue of the hotels has decreased an estimated NAf 30 million in 2009. In addition total visitor spending on hotel food & beverage, car rental, tours, dining and shopping will have seen a comparable drop.
Putting the tourism performance in perspective, we have to conclude that Curacao has been successful in sustaining stay-over visitor numbers until October 2009 however at a considerable cost to the hotel bottom-line.
Not only have room revenues decreased but the cost of doing business has increased during the year, giving the sector a double blow.
The cost of doing business has jumped due to increases in minimum wages (18.4%), AOV premium (30%), AOV wage limit to NAf 80.000, hospital rates (11%), utility rates (water 5% and electricity 19.5%) and telecom rates (telephone 39%).
On average hotel revenues in 2009 have decreased by 30% as compared to 2008 and the outlook for 2010 is a somber one.
In order for tourism to continue to be the engine for economic growth, employment and foreign exchange generation for the island, CHATA calls on the Government for a lowering of the cost of doing business.
In this respect a lowering of utility cost could be considered as well as a lowering of import duties and excise taxes, work permit costs, airport tax and room tax, casino tax, wage tax and profit tax.
