GMB - The Curaçao Tourist Board forecasts 20,000 Brazilian tourists by 2020 in Curaçao. Given that gambling is banned in our country, do you believe that casinos are some of the biggest draw for Brazilians?
André Rojer - Yes, our outlook for next year is to reach 20,000 Brazilians arriving in Curaçao. As for casinos, we know they are banned in the country, but Brazilians who visit our island do not land with the main interest in gaming. Most come to enjoy our nature, over 40 turquoise beaches, our museums and historic settings to dive in and have contact with locales. Casinos are part of the offer that the destination offers, as well as beach clubs, nightlife in Pietermai, the Sea Aquarium, among others.
Tell us a bit about how gambling and tourism relate in Curaçao. Is income essential for social assistance in the country?
The relationship is good, but the Curaçao Tourist Board does not promote the island as a gaming destination, but, as I pointed out above, as a complete destination for everyone looking for a Caribbean island with a European flair.
Many of the online gaming sites are installed in Curaçao and operate with servers legally. Is this beneficial to the island? How does society view this?
We know so, the gaming industry is strong on the island and many companies are headquartered here, but Curaçao Tourist Board has no further information about it as it is not the department that coordinates such licensing and / or control issues.
Do you consider that not having a gaming legalized industry in Brazil help or hinder to get its tourists to play in Curaçao? Why?
We believe it helps because for tourists looking for a destination to gamble, they find Curaçao as an option, even though it is not a strong destination for that purpose.
If you had to define a profile of the Brazilian tourist, what would it be like?
I believe the profile of the tourist visiting Curacao is adult and aged 35 to 65 years. Many travels as a couple for a honeymoon, events and for sun and beach tourism to relax and enjoy the island's differential. The Brazilian is the tourist that most spent when visiting the island.
You even said that with the opening of new hotels, the island plans to have 20,000 Brazilian tourists next year. What are the advantages of these hotels to attract customers from Brazil? Are many of them integrated resorts?
With more room options increases the offer so that the Brazilian can find better prices. With this range, many are already training their employees with the Portuguese language. Some new resorts have all-inclusive packages, but we will have others with this differential, which pleases Brazilian tourists. In November, the Marriott Curacao Beach Resort was inaugurated. Now, in December, the Dreams Curaçao will be opened and, in April 2020, the Corendon Mangrove Resort. In addition to others that have confirmed inaugurations in the coming years.
Why do you think that Curaçao, as tourist destination, is little spread in Brazil? What methods are you using to reach these customers?
The offer of Caribbean destinations to Brazilians is large. Curaçao is one more of them. In recent years we have been doing great promotional actions to awaken the differential we have since our nature, people and attractions. To highlight this, we launched in October last year our new branding campaign entitled “Feel Yourself”, that is, the best way for Brazilians to know Curaçao is by knowing the place for themselves. At the same time, we have already taken many famous and celebrities like Amaury Junior, Xuxa and Eliana for special programs; we produce series with Jornal da Record; we brought a lot of influencers, artists and special guests. We have already partnered with many brands, such as Riachuelo, Ana Hickmann, Hebrew Club, among others… Everything to show Curacao in an authentic and innovative way. We are always open to partnerships to raise Curaçao's visibility.
What news will Curacao present by the end of this year to get more visitors?
We are looking forward to returning a direct flight between Sao Paulo and Curacao, as well as studying other strategic cities to connect Brazil and our island.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
