WILLEMSTAD - A letter sent out by the Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) caused quite a bit of confusion on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The letter is entitled "Closure of Airport Hato in Curaçao for inbound passengers of all countries" and discusses what is not permitted as of August 14 last when it comes to passengers arriving on the island.
However, it is clearly stated in the letter that passengers from at least Bonaire and the Netherlands can still travel to the island. For passengers from the Netherlands, however, a negative test result of a Covid-19 PCR test must be submitted. However, this measure is not new.
Crisis communication
The letter from CCAA proves once again that good (crisis) communication is important. After the letter leaked, several passengers were concerned about their planned trip to Curaçao.
The tourist sector on the island is gently getting back on its feet, due to the fact that passengers from the Netherlands are welcome on the island. The slightest suggestion that the airport is closing to arriving passengers could lead to uncertainty and cancellation of bookings.
The letter also mentions an "absolute" limit of 10,000 arriving passengers per month, but that number is not really new either. In addition, there are doubts about the enforcement of the measure, which can hardly be checked.