Current COVID-19 developments in Europe were bound to affect the region. The Netherlands was about to issue a negative advisory for all travel abroad during the holiday season that will have a big impact especially on Curaçao, which to a large extent depends on Dutch tourism and is only now reopening to the US market.
It is almost ironic that according to the Netherlands’ own Health Ministry (see related story), the Dutch Caribbean islands are doing quite well in limiting the spread of COVID-19. However, Aruba and St. Maarten were already on the “code orange” list to which non-essential travel was discouraged. That only 27 per cent of vacationers returning to the Netherlands from countries in that category quarantined as required did not exactly help matters.
France for its part announced a new stay-at-home order that will also practically ban international travel. The overseas territories have been given some room for adjustments to the local reality, but will no doubt suffer negative consequences too.
All this makes efforts to attract North American visitors this winter despite the pandemic even more important. If the destination is widely considered relatively safe with dropping infection numbers that would certainly be a plus, along with the fact that travel to many other places simply is not possible.
The word must get out quickly that when it comes to a comparatively low-risk vacation in the sun, “The Friendly Island” is still a good bet.
