CHATA Annual Report 2019 by CHATA

Passion for Tourism

Mission

“To deliver a visible, leading and effective (marketing) contribution towards a vibrant and sustainable Curaçao tourism and hospitality product.”

Content 5. INTRODUCTION REPORT

A small summary of CHATA over the past years.

6. MEET THE

CHATA BOARD

Get to know the CHATA Board and its role.

9. MEET THE

CHATA TEAM

Meet the young faces behind CHATA.

10. MEET OUR

11. COMMUNICATIONS

12. STRATEGY &

A look back at our Stars of the Industry!

CHATA’s Communication Strategy explained.

CHATA’s Strategy and Focus explained

16.

17. CHATA

STARS

14. FINANCIAL UPDATE

DYNAMICS

TOURISM PERFORMANCE

FOCUS

ACHIEVEMENTS

CHATA’s Financial Statement and Audit Report

2019 Arrivals and Hotel Performance summarized.

An overview of CHATA Achievements in 2019.

26.

27. WHY BECOME A

28.

INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENTS Achievements of the Tourism Industry in 2019.

MEMBER?

Our Top 5 reasons to become a CHATA Member.

CHATA MEMBERS

An overview of new CHATA in 2019.

Introduction The tourism industry is in a constant state of challenge and change, but despite all the challenges, it still remains one of the most volatile economic pillars of Curaçao. In 2019 we have managed to reach many of our tourism goals. Similar to 2018, Companies were forced to close their doors and the government is continuously reducing its budget. As a result, CTB still lacks adequate funding to implement the tourism masterplan and invest in marketing of our destination. Furthermore, transportation for our tourists is still a challenge due to limited TW permits and inefficient taxi service on the island. And our members such as hotels and car rentals are increasingly becoming targets of criminal acts. Despite these challenges, as an association together with our partners we have been able to make strides forward to achieve the ultimate aim of sustainably growing the tourism sector. The level playing field committee implemented their plan of action and is working through an agreement with regards to the creation of a Level Playing Field on Curaçao, in partnership with stakeholders we continued to create awareness and provide education on tourism to the youth and together with CTB and the government, the Curaçao Tourism Stakeholders delivered a CTA recommendations report to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism with the intention to stimulate collaboration between the public and private sector. These achievements have been a joint effort of multiple partners such as the Curaçao Airport Partners, Curaçao Tourist Board and the Government. Furthermore, Curaçao also saw an increase in airlift, OCC, ADR & RevPar caused partially by an increase of demand which resulted in an increase in hotel occupancy from the newly introduced and renovated establishments in 2019 and beginning of 2020. However, as the supply of hotel rooms is increasing more rapidly than the demand, together with our partners we must assure that these rooms will be filled in order to maintain and increase the hotel occupancy. In order to ensure sustained growth in the industry and jump start our economy we need structural change in all levels of the community, private sector and government. We need increased awareness on the importance of tourism and the collective responsibility we have as a community to develop the sector. Tourism is not a one man show, but rather an opportunity for us to collaborate and show the world the true potential of Curaçao.

Board of Directors 2018-2019

Miles Mercera President & CEO CHATA

Hans Slier Chairman Papagayo Group

Omar van der Dijs Vice Chairman Licores Maduro

Robbin Vogels Treasurer Avila Beach Hotel

Maylin Trenidad Secretary Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino

Alette Borger Dolphin Suites Curaçao

Frank Holtslag Floris Suite Hotel

Peggy Croes Curaçao Airport Partners

Oliver Zahn Baoase Luxury Resort

Julián Castañeda Sunscape Beach Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino

Stephane Clar Hilton Curaca̧ o

Jerry van Gijn Maduro & Curiels Bank

Board of Directors 2019-2020

Miles Mercera President & CEO CHATA

Hans Slier Chairman Papagayo Group

Omar van der Dijs Vice Chairman Licores Maduro

Robbin Vogels Treasurer Avila Beach Hotel

Maylin Trenidad Secretary Renaissance Curaรงao Resort & Casino

Alette Borger Dolphin Suites Curaรงao

Frank Holtslag Floris Suite Hotel

Peggy Croes Curaรงao Airport Partners

Oliver Zahn Baoase Luxury Resort

Jerry van Gijn Maduro & Curiels Bank

Ricardo Esteban Sunscape Beach Curacฬงao Resort, Spa & Casino

Liselotte Bos Oasis Coral Estate Beach, Dive & Wellness Resort

Role of the Board CHATA’s Board currently consists of 11 fiduciaries representing 11 parties holding a CHATA membership. Board members are competent representatives of the CHATA members and are elected every 2 years to ensure that CHATA members are provided equal opportunity to have supervision and say in CHATA operations. Board members vacate their positions by rotation of 2 years, the current Board of Directors consists of a group of Board members that have been elected in 2020.

CHATA’s board, in conjunction with CHATA’s President & CEO, steer the association towards success by ensuring proper governance and by adopting and ensuring adherence to financial management policies. CHATA’s board has a dual mandate;The Board provides advice, guidance and moreover functions as a supervisory entity monitoring the association’s performance, enacting upon points of attention should this be required.

As we are progressing into the 21st century, CHATA has understood and wholeheartedly embraced the good governance principle. The Board of Directors ensures that CHATA embraces good governance in its day-to-day operations by ensuring accountability, transparency and equitability.

2020 Team

Miles Mercera President & CEO

Jihan Hammoud Partnership & Communications Senior Executive

Selina Maduro-Gumbs Events & Operations Manager

Crystal Willems Research & Education Executive

Gedion Verkerk Communications Executive

In 2019 CHATA bid farewell to Vianny Henriquez after 2.5 years of great service to the association. CHATA is very grateful for the contribution of Vianny and wishes her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

CHATA Stars of the Industry Q1-2019 The Blue Curaรงao Experience

Meet our Stars CHATA Stars of the Industry Q3-2019 Livingstone Jan Thiel

CHATA Stars of the Industry Q2-2019 Bottles

of the Industry CHATA Stars of the Industry Q4-2019 Meat the Fish

Communication Dynamics CHATA is a dynamic association and incorporates its dynamics into its membership benefits. CHATA communicates latest developments that are beneficial information or can affect CHATA Members in any way through several mediums. CHATA communicates through its monthly Newsletter, frequent Newsflashes, Alerts on situations requiring precautions, and annual Hurricane Preparedness Kit. CHATA also focuses on keeping members informed on latest trends. CHATA gives members the opportunity to showcase their product through the quarterly Product Update. These mediums serve to keep our members informed through digital communication.CHATA also has numerous interactions with its members to accentuate the benefits of a CHATA membership. CHATA organizes a minimum of 3 Membership Meetings and Marketing Task Force meetings annually, in which members can express their concerns, provide feedback and brainstorm together with CHATA and the Curaรงao Tourist Board on potential solutions to points of attention. In addition to the Membership meetings and Marketing Task Forces, CHATA also gathers key influencers in many of its Breakfast Meetings and Lab Sessions, in which subjects of importance to the sector are discussed in depth with key private and public-sector partners. In order to tackle challenges, CHATA has several Task Forces in place acting as troubleshooters that advocate points of particular interest. CHATA also realizes that members require attention individually, and therefore regularly schedules CHATA Meets sessions, where the CEO of CHATA meets one on one with its members to provide a keen and listening ear to member concerns, while jointly brainstorming and, if necessary, working towards a solution.

Strategy & Focus Destination & Product Marketing

Ensure that Curaçao and its products are adequately promoted by influencing the marketing strategy set by CTB through active collaboration between both organizations. Pro-actively initiate marketing activities for the sector.

Air Service – Retention & Growth

CHATA to secure growth mainly for the North American Market and secondly for the South American Market and retain airlift from Europe by working closely with all existing airlines and actively search for new carriers together with CTB and Curaçao Airport Partners/Curaçao Airport Holding.

Product & Human Resources Development

Create value for all members by providing a platform for collaboration and innovation within the sector. Supporting growth and product development of members by being a source of quality industry information and analysis. Support all Safety & Security efforts and cleanliness projects. Identify industry educational and training needs and set a strategy together with members to cope with the current needs.

Advocacy & Lobbying on behalf of the Sector

Working together is a must, on all fronts. CHATA to actively remind government, CTB and others on the importance of aligning our efforts and jointly invest in the markets. In addition to this CHATA also makes sure that important issues that affect the tourism industry are addressed by the government and relevant stakeholders.

Communication (Voice of the Sector)

CHATA to increase its visibility and recognition as the tourism expert by becoming more vocal and active.

Financial Update Statement of Financial Position as per December 31, 2019 December 31, 2019

December 31, 2018 ANG ANG ASSETS Current Assets Cash & Cash Equivalants 453,835 254,305 Accounts Receivable 278,517 143,875 Other Receivables & Prepaid Expenses 17,788 31,932 Non-current assets Tangible fixed assets 19,757 21,296 Intangible fixed assets 2,716 21,063

TOTAL ASSETS 772,613 472,471 LIABILITIES

Current Liabilities Accounts payable Other Payables Tax & Social Premiums NET ASSETS

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

26,750 233,505 22,047 490,311

772,673

26,309 25,109 9,031 412,023

472,471

Financial Update Statement of Comprehensive Income For the Year Ended 2019

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2018 ANG ANG INCOME Membership Dues 758,688 687.966 Other Income 579,919 319,096 TOTAL INCOME 1,338,607 1,007,062

EXPENSES

Personnel Expenses 462,112 416,615 Office Expense 84,767 73,010 Gerenal Expense 78,757 64,196 Depreciation & Amortization 34,230 32,178 Privision for Doubtful Debts 7,676 855 Membership Development 86,551 50,211 Project Costs 315,249 154,280 Product Development & Marketing Expenses 190,977 179,804

TOTAL EXPENSES 1,260,319 971,149

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/LOSS FOR THE YEAR

78,288 35,914

CHATA continued to reap its benefits of outsourcing all financial administration tasks with the aim to increase member satisfaction by focusing on membership value. IBCTC is the partner for business administration expertise. IBCTC has been in charge of CHATA’s daily administrative and financial tasks with a strong focus on Membership Billing & Processing. CHATA’s finance saw an increase in membership dues of 10.3%. Total expenses remained well within budget. CHATA booked a positive result of NAF 22.359 for 2019. Operational Expenses We have seen an increase of 15.5% in general expenses. Accounts Receivables & Cash Flow The year 2019 ended with an accounts receivable balance of NAF 267.729 Audit by Grant Thornton Audit took place in November 2019 and February & March 2020, with a focus on a true and fair view of the financial position of CHATA. The audit included an analysis of CHATA’s financial performance and cash flows for the year. Audit was conducted in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing. 15

Tourism Performance Tourism Arrivals

In 2019, Curaçao experienced an increase in visitor arrivals and visitor nights. The growth is mainly subscribed to the growth in visitors from the Caribbean, North America and the Netherlands. CTB reported a growth of 7% stayover arrivals. In total 463,685 stayover visitors travelled to Curaçao. In 2018, we welcomed 431,711 stayover visitors during this same period. Surpassing the destinations growth target with 7%. Curaçao welcomed altogether during the year 2019 1,293,011 tourist arrivals. The Curaçao Ports Authority recorded 809,874 cruise arrivals, while the Curaçao Tourist Board registered 463,685 stayover visitors who spent 4.1 million nights in Curaçao. On average the stayover visitors spent 7.8 nights per person in 2019. The Ministry of Economic Development together with CTB calculated the total economic impact (direct + indirect) including cruise tourism at 1.2 billion US $ in 2019 using the Turistika Model.

Hotel Performance

Hotel Occupancy in 2019 was 71.68%, while in 2018 it was 72.2%. As compared to 2018 Hotel Occupancy decreased by 0.5 percentage points. Average Daily Rates went from $152.64 in 2018 to $158.51 in 2019. The Revenue Per Available Room has increased with $3.80, being $110.87 in 2018 as compared to $114.67 in 2019.

Average Hotel Occupancy: 71.68% Average Daily Rate: $158.51 Revenue Per Available Room: $114.67

CHATA Achievements Charlwin “Broertje” Marshall

In January 2019, CHATA formed a partnership with OWCS with the initiative to show appreciation to Chef Charlwin Marshall by organizing a cooking competition. Chef Charlwin Marshall has attended and won many different competitions around the world, putting Curaçao on the map in the culinary industry. To show appreciation, CHATA and OWCS organized and coordinated the cooking competition due to the expertise with the Curaçao Culinary Team competitions.

Level Playing Field

In January 2019, it was communicated that the pilot for Level Playing Field has been approved. It was later communicated in the Q2 Membership Meeting by the Ministry of Economic Development that pilot will start in June 2019. The Level Playing Field Committee recommended the introduction of a mandatory registration system for all accommodation rental providers in 2019. The registration system will provide new insight to the government into all entities who are currently renting accommodations to tourists. Furthermore, the registration system will increase governmental effectiveness in increasing compliance whilst reducing unnecessary and costly red tape. The project named Turi was launched in August 2019, where owners could register their apartments for free, for the next 4 months. If owners did not register their apartments, they would receive a notice from the government. The implementation of the Turi project did not deliver as well as it was hoped, therefore, a year later, in January 2020, a letter was sent on behalf of CHATA to the Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Finance to emphasize the importance and urgency of the matter. When placing more pressure on the government to show more diligence for the Turi project, an Airbnb agreement was drafted and is going through revisions, before passing through the legal stages. This agreement will ensure that a majority of the renting accommodations will be registered and will go through the necessary procedures similar to those of the hotel establishments. Having these documents approved and signed by the respective parties will imply that the Turi project is successfully running its course, which will eventually lead to all renting accommodations being registered. The success of the project is critical for the government since the execution of this project will result into an increased income for the government. In fact, this is highly needed due to the island’s current financial situation.

In Curaçao – CHATA In Room Magazine

The 2019 edition of the CHATA in-room Magazine and visitors guide, InCuraçao was launched in February 2019. In this edition, the focus was sharing our local secrets and cultures. The InCuraçao magazine showcases different experiences and things to do on the island based on 5 travel types namely, The Cultural Explorer, The Gentle Explorer, The Adventure Seeker, The No Hassle Traveler and The Family Travel.

The InCuraçao magazine is available in all CHATA Accommodations. A special thanks to Fortress Interactive for making the InCuraçao Magazine a reality.

Annual General Member Meeting

On April 10, 2019, CHATA held its Annual General Member Meeting at Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curaçao. During this meeting the members had the opportunity to elect the new board for 2019-2020 and approve the associations budget for the year. Furthermore, the agenda included Air-France - KLM General Manager Mid-America, Andean & Dutch Antilles, Mr. Rob Westerman, who gave a presentation on the Human Service in a Digital World and a presentation on the developments of The Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort by Mr. Craig Martin, the General Manager of The Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort.

Caribbean Bartender of the Year 2019

In June 2019, the Curaçao Culinary Team participated in the Taste of the Caribbean competition. The Curaçao Culinary Team is a national team of young talented chefs & bartenders who strive to promote the island of Curaçao and boost the economy, while developing their culinary skills at this annual competition, next to competing for the Caribbean Title. Taste of the Caribbean is an international competition between 15 Caribbean islands, who come together to promote their island while also competing for the grand title of Caribbean Team of the year. The team participates every year and for the first time in 8 years, Curaçao Culinary Team member, Jurnick Merced, received the Caribbean Bartender of the Year 2019 Award. Jurnick also won the Best Vodka Competition, meaning his vodka cocktail was the best amongst the other competitors.

Curaçao Tourism Authority (CTA)

The Curaçao Tourism Development Foundation (CTDF) and the CTDF Advisory board finalized a timeline and plan of action to transform the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) into a new authority. The new authority should have an independent status, a board formed by the private and public sector and it should become self-sustainable within 3 years. This new structure will be the solution for funding, performance and leadership challenges it faces today as the Authority will be able to operate independent of political and government influences. On June 19, 2019, the Council of Ministers approved the proposal of the Supervisory Board of the CTDF & CHATA to set up an advisory committee to guide the process to reach the new Curaçao Tourism Authority. The committee was established as a result of the recommendation of the Government Agreement (2017-2021), the Tourism Master Plan (2015-2020), the ‘Groeistrategie’ report from October 2018, and a letter from the current CTDF board to MEO. The CTA committee consists of the following members, CTB, CHATA, Minister of Economic Development (MEO) and Minister of Finance. The CTA Committee worked on the final

presentation/report, the first draft was scheduled to be finalized mid-January 2020. Towards the end of January 2020, the Minister of Economic Development, Mrs. Giselle Mc William received the recommendations report from the committee of ‘Advies Commissie Curaçao Tourism Authority’.

Flavors of Curaçao

On September 28, 2019, CHATA organized the annual Flavors of Curaçao event. This is the biggest fundraising event of the association where over 4.000 guests had the opportunity to savor delicacies provided by the 30 participating culinary stands. The highlights included live cooking and plate preparation by chef Justin Niessen, special bartending demonstrations and a Caribbean cocktail bar. In addition, the Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino was chosen as the new location for the event. Flavors of Curaçao was heavily promoted online in partnership with SPIN Media. Flavors also received great collaboration of the press in promoting the event on TV, Radio and Newspaper. CHATA is extremely grateful to the many sponsors of the event that made 2019 Flavors of Curaçao possible.

Kla Pa Turismo Launch

In November 2019, CHATA collaborated with the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) and the Ministry of Social Development, Labour and Welfare (SOAW) by introducing the project “Kla Pa Turismo”. This project is part of the Growth Strategy for Curaçao and gives the opportunity to 300 citizens to obtain adequate training and job security in the tourism industry. This project focuses on adults who are motivated to work in the hospitality sector. The content of this program is on a basic level and the setup links with the education system on the job learning. CHATA finalized an agreement with Stichting Vakbekwaamheid Horeca (SVH) for its educational training efforts for the tourism industry, which will be used during the project. SVH develops (digital) learning resources and teaching methods for (vocational) education, trainers and entrepreneurs. SVH guarantees knowledge by conducting exams and provides insight into the training offer for the hospitality industry. This is the formula on how to create the link between hospitality education and business and bring innovation to the professional competence in the sector.

After admission, the participants will start theory training, focusing on the practical part for a couple of weeks. The courses available will be Kitchen Assistant, Service Assistant, Housekeeping and Assistant of the Hospitality Security Assistants. These courses will be focusing on the necessity that companies of the industry are facing at this moment. Once the first period of approximately 1 month has been completed, the participants will be working for four days a week as a training employee guided by a hospitality coach in a hotel or restaurant. Once a week the participant comes back for evaluation, guidance and additional courses. Teachers with experiences in this industry and didactic abilities will be in charge of the courses and will also be responsible for the cooperation with the companies. The practical period in a company lasts 20 weeks and will be completed with a practical exam. The first groups started their theoretical courses in January 2020, where they were taught the basic learning techniques before venturing into the learning companies. The Kitchen Assistants were made up of 24 participants, the Service Assistants had a group of 12 participants and the Housekeeping group formed a group of 15 participants. In February 2020 they started the practical part of their training program at the learning companies, such as, Chogogo Resort, Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort Curacao, Papagayo Curaçao, Hemingway Restaurant, Nemo Restaurant, Piazza Restaurant, Chill Beach Bar & Grill, Restaurant & Café Governor De Rouville, Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club, Morena Resort Curaçao, Oasis Coral Estate Beach, Dive & Wellness Resort, AMResort, Baoase Luxury Resort and Securitas.

Tourism Safety Security

CHATA shared its concern with government on a bi-weekly basis in regard to the rising incidents and robberies taking place with the visitors on island. CHATA has requested the Minister of Economic Development to schedule a joint meeting between the Minister of Justice and Economic Development and CTB/CHATA to discuss an action plan on this regard. Once the meeting took place, it was communicated in the next Membership Meeting by Mrs. Mc William that there are four different points that must be taken into consideration regarding tourist’s safety: visitor protection, staff protection, property protection and reputation protection. It was further communicated that it is imperative to raise awareness concerning the tourism safety in Curaçao and to target the most affected areas immediately. Therefore, Bandabou and Caracasbaai will be receiving more surveillance as they are the key areas the Minister wants to continue focusing on and putting more effort in.

CHATA also received input from several car rental members with their input on the challenges they encounter in regard to safety & security. Below you will find an overview of 37 cases that happened in 2019 from January until November. Overview of 37 cases: General Complaints Robbery Robbery and Assault Assault Accidents Passed Away

12 11 2 7 4 1

Hospitality Security Conference

CHATA also organized a Hospitality Security Conference in February 2020, where the Minister of Justice, Mr. Quincy Girigorie, Director of Bossi Security Risk Management, Mr. Aaron Antersijn and Director of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, Mr. Clarence Izzard, gave presentations to emphasize on Safety & Security within the tourism industry. Mr. Girigorie stressed on how Curaรงao needs to improve in regard to Security. He assured the members that Curaรงao is indeed one of the safest islands in the Caribbean, however, emphasizes that different parties need to work together in order to create a safer environment for the locals and the tourists. It was noted that neglected areas, which received more visibility, instantly improved due to the simple adjustment of placing lights. It is therefore that, together with the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, measures will be taken to invest and improve not only in the people authorized to take action, but also in the areas that need attention. Further, Mr. Antersijn gave a brief presentation on raising awareness on safety and security in our community. He started off his presentation with a simple interactive question, what does safety mean to you? He brought up a point that safety and security is something that people are confronted with at a later age and stresses that basic techniques should be taught in schools in order to identify when something seems out of place.

Mr. Clarence Izzard concluded the presentations with some valuable advice after focusing on property safety and identifying human trafficking. Pointing out the various possible scenarios that can take place at a property in regard to safety, he continued with guest security and encourages people to use their common sense and foresee situations or else it will be deemed as negligence. He encourages people to not be a hero, but rather observe and report to those with authority.

Curaçao Global Trade Symposium

CTB, CHATA and other private sector partners hosted the Curaçao Global Trade Symposium, a remarkable and important symposium, which will contribute significantly to the growth and development strategy of our tourism industry. With over 75 wholesalers and airline companies participating, the Curaçao Global Trade Symposium 2019 started on May 29 and continued until June 2. These main Trade partners were invited to come and really “feel the destination” for themselves, while conducting business meetings with the private sector partners this week. The official opening took place on May 31 and included presentations by the CTB’s CEO, Paul Pennicook, CHATA President & CEO, Miles Mercera and Curaçao Airport Partners CEO, Ralph Blanchard. The agenda included afternoon sessions with presentations and deliberations with the wholesalers on the marketing plan for each specific region. This was followed by a tour to inspect the progress of two large tourism projects currently in development: the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort and the Corendon Beach Resort. The wholesalers also had the chance to participate in a Marketplace Session that allowed them to have one-on-one meetings with Hotel representatives to negotiate new contracts and deals. The symposium concluded with a festive dinner, a token of gratitude to these wholesalers for their participation, as well as for their commitment to the tourism product of the island Curaçao. The Curaçao Global Trade Symposium 2019 has participation of representatives from the 4 major markets of Europe, North America, South America and the Caribbean.

CHATA’s Product Update report

Each quarter, CHATA identified key insights on all noteworthy updates from all CHATA members and compiled these in its quarterly Product Update Report that is shared with tour operators, travel agents, PR agencies and other key stakeholders.

Active Participation at Fairs & International Tradeshows

CHATA attended several tradeshows and represented its members at Vakantie Beurs, New York Times Travel Show, ANATO, CHTA Marketplace, ITB, Meetings with Airlines, Wholesalers and many more! (All partners received a Trip Report.)

Stars of the Industry

CHATA continued to recognize its employees and supervisors during the year. In 2019 CHATA had the pleasure of awarding 101 employees with a Stars of the Industry Awards. A special thanks goes out to all the sponsors of the event. For those who sponsored the location: The Blue Experience, Bottles Curaçao, Livingstone Janthiel Resort and Meat the Fish. Also, for those which provided the nominees with a small token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication for the industry. 2019 Sponsors: CurAloe, J.L. Penha & Sons, Bottles Curaçao, Coca Cola Curaçao, Deloitte, Papagayo Curaçao, The Wine Facroty, Distribier, Guardian Group, Flavors or Curaçao, Senior & Co, Gallery Alma Blou and Ananda Resort.

CHATA Trainings & Workshop

In its efforts to increase the language proficiency in the tourism sector, the CHATA Academy provided language courses to tourism professionals in Curaçao. Through these courses CHATA wants to equip our tourism professionals with the necessary tools to provide a better experience to our visitors by being able to speak their native language. In 2019 CHATA provided courses in English, Dutch, Papiamentu, Spanish and German. A total of 25 participants took part of the various language courses. Furthermore, CHATA also organized a Revenue Management and Yielding workshop for its members. A total of 13 participants enrolled in the Revenue Management and Yielding course.

CHATA Launches Silent Auction

In an effort to raise funds to be able to continue to contribute to the development of Curacao’s tourism industry, CHATA organized its annual Silent Auction in November of 2019. The CHATA Silent auction is one of the many fundraising events CHATA organizes throughout the year. During the Silent Auction the local community had the opportunity to bid on various auction items ranging from hotel accommodations, airline tickets, to activities generously provided by CHATA members. The funds raised through the Silent Auction are invested in tourism development projects such as tourism awareness campaigns, human capital development and promotion of the destination.

Member Meeting

In 2019, CHATA held several Member Meetings to provide its members with an update of the industry. Often CHATA also invites keynote speakers to elaborate on trending topics affecting the industry. In 2019, CHATA selected keynote speakers based on specific topics such as opportunities to increase the impact of tourism on our local economy, tourism safety and security, and sustainability within the sector. The Q3 Membership Meeting of 2019 was generously sponsored by MCB.

CHATA Task Forces

CHATA has many taskforces that focus on the development of specific areas within the tourism sector. These Include the Dive Task Force, HR Task Force, Attractions Task Force, Culture, Heritage and Arts Task Force, Wellness Task Force, Sustainability Task Force, Safety & Security Task Force, Luxury Task Force and Restaurant Task Force. Please find below an update on some of the accomplishments of our task forces in 2019.

Dive Task Force One of the most active task forces of CHATA is the dive task force. The dive task force consists of 14 dive members that work together to further promote Curaรงao as a dive destination. Furthermore, they also advocate for the protection and restauration of our coral reefs and protection of our dive sites from marine debris. Several dive shops joined the Project Aware initiative where they committed to adopting their house reef and organize monthly clean up events. One of successful initiative by one of the dive members, was the After Fuik Clean-up which took place in January 2020, right after the annual Fuik Dag event. In comparison to 2019, the team collected an estimate of 700 kg in trash, whereas in 2019, they collected 1,250 kg. They also introduced the floating trash bins on Fuik Dag, which collected 4 cubic meters of trash. In October 2019, more than 100 divers from all over the world came together on Curaรงao to participate in the re-formatted Annual Curaรงao International Diving Festival after ten years hiatus. The proceeds of the diving festival went to the Coral Restoration Foundation Curaรงao and the Sea Turtle Conservation Curaรงao. Attractions Task Force The Attractions Task Force focuses on the promotion of the on-island activities. In 2019, the task force made modifications to a map which includes all on island activities. The map will be placed in different areas around the island. The first map was placed at the mega pier. The map will also be used to promote the activities at the different trade shows in the form of a post card, that will be distributed in 2020.

Culture Heritage & Arts Task Force The aim of the Culture Heritage & Arts Task force is to promote our culture, heritage and arts scene with the tourists and further develop our product offering in this area. In 2019, CHATA collaborated with the Museum Association to assist in organizing Museum Week. Sustainability Task Force The Sustainability Task Force was reestablished in the first half of 2019. The aim of the task force is to bring awareness to our members in the tourism industry regarding different ways to be sustainable and to adapt to sustainable practices. CHATA’s goal was to increase the number of green members, with the help of “Bedrijvenplatform Milleu” (BPM) to facilitate the transition of non-sustainable to sustainable. In November 2019, CHATA held a sustainability conference where organizations such as Dynaf, Schneider Electric and BPM gave presentations to CHATA members and non-members, displaying how they can be more sustainable. The conference was a successful event where organizations had the opportunity to network and seek partnerships to further their sustainability practices. Education Task Force In 2019, CHATA launched the Education Task Force. The aim of the task force is to bring tourism in the educational planning to raise awareness on the importance of tourism by discussing topics related to the sector. In order to continue raising awareness on the importance of tourism, all VPCO schools have incorporated a tourism day for students. This way they can see for themselves the potential that lies in the tourism industry and what opportunities the industry has to offer them. MICE Task Force In 2019, CTB appointed a new US MICE REP, Mrs. Maura Zhang. She is known to the island as she used to work at the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort and therefore also knows the destination well. Maura has been contracted under the company name, Synergy-Connect by the Curaçao Tourist Board. The MICE Task Force aims to make Curaçao a more attractive destination for groups and meeting planners. In order to raise more awareness about Curaçao among meeting planners, this task force is currently working on a MICE folder in which Curaçao is promoted as a great destination for groups.

Industry Achievements Airlift

The year 2019 was a good year for airlift development. Many of the airlines that service Curaรงao added additional rotations. During the winter season, American Airlines increased its services to 3 daily flights to Miami. In addition to increasing flights, Air Canada added its service to a second weekly flight to Montreal. KLM increased its rotations with four daily non-stop flights to Amsterdam in December. However, the industry was also impacted by the situation in Venezuela. The borders between the Dutch Caribbean and Venezuela had been closed as of March 2019. Curaรงao also welcomed new and/or returning airlines to the destination. In the first half of the year, Viva Air and Wingo were both introduced bringing in flights from Bogota. Later that year in August, Caribbean Airlines brought flights twice a week to and from Trinidad and Tobago. To conclude 2019 positively and open 2020 successfully, in December, United Airlines was introduced with flights to and from Newark and in January, local airline JetAir was introduced to the market with flights to and from St. Maarten.

Curaรงao North Sea Jazz Festival

In 2019, Curaรงao was once again the host of the North Sea Jazz Festival. The event was held from August 29 till August 31 at the World Trade Center. The sector is extremely happy with the return of this important event to the island as it creates great exposure for Curaรงao abroad and contributes greatly to the economy of the island.

CHATA Membership 1.

TRANSPERENCY

We engage in frequent dialogues with our members to inform them of our actions and to remain up to date on their concerns.

LEADERSHIP

We are recognized as the voice of the industry. We develop innovative plans of action that set the tone within the tourism industry.

EXPERTISE

Our research department provides you with up to date information, which contributes to the reliability of your trend forecasts and assists in gearing your product development in the right direction.

VIBRANCY

Our pro-active approach to challenges and opportunities within the industry enables us to provide you with accurate and timely information

2. 4.

PARTNERSHIP

We promote strong Public Private Partnership with all entities, to grow our tourism industry

CHATA Members Membership – 200 Members and counting…

Membership is considered our bread and butter. We rely on the support of our members to be able to voice, act and create on their behalf. As we continue to grow in our membership, CHATA will have a better representation of the sector which means a stronger voice as the private sector. We are proud to be your eyes and ears, and it feels good when you have friends (members) that you can count on. CHATA Board reinforced the importance of sustainable membership growth. One of the goals for 2019 and beyond is for the association to grow and become the true representative of the private Hospitality & Tourism Sector. In 2019, 33 new members joined CHATA and 12 members canceled their membership by the end of 2019. Furthermore, 10 members were written off due to their failure to complete membership dues. Therefore, CHATA now counts 223 Members, whereas in 2018 CHATA had 212 Members.

Total Value in Membership income: NAF. 758.688 New members 2019 Fundiving Curaçao Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort BPO Caribbean Omnisynthesis Perfect Choice Taxi Curaçao Phoenix Foundation Kryoyo ZK Consultancy Villa Tokara Build to Clean Roast Rum Shop Sincere Group Dutch Caribbean Resilient Societies Foundation Dynaf Caribbean B.V. Sharks & Lions Caribbean Poulina Curaçao Vacation Tours Super Nice Healthy Foods

Delta Security & Hospitality Green Queen Wimco Dive Charter Curaçao IT Solutions Superior Tabacco Company River Psychologen & Advies Bureau Jamaica Curaçao Link Up Foundation Corendon Mangrove Resort BlueFinn Charters VPCO Don Caribe RPS Cars B.V. Dutch Caribbean Resilient Societies Foundation Curaçao Luxury Rides N.V. Powerboat Caribbean