WILLEMSTAD - The restaurants and hotels sector in Curaçao was most affected by the preventive measures against the spread of corona in the first half of 2020. The closing of the borders caused the influx of tourists to be halted. As a result, the number of overnight tourists fell to almost zero. This is evident from an analysis by the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten of the gross domestic product by sector. The analysis shows that all economic sectors registered a contraction.
However, the decline was greatest in the industrial, wholesale and retail, restaurants and hotels, transport, storage and communication, and construction sectors. The public sector contributed positively to the gross domestic product through the government's financial support to the most affected groups in society.