Business View Caribbean, July/August 2018

98 99 the foreign investment community to develop proj- ects on the island.“We are seeing a trend, especial- ly in the high season,where we are running out of rooms to sell,”he remarks.“So, for us to be able to grow the tourism industry to the numbers that we hope to,we need to build additional room capacity on the island.” In order to attract those investors, Mercera believes that the country needs to make it easier for investments to take place by creating the right kind of incentives that will make property development more attractive. A third challenge concerns human capital de- velopment.“Because of the growing demand,we need more people to work,”he states.“But there is a lack of school programs for the future workforce, and it’s a challenge to find adequate educational systems where tourism is being taught.We need to grow our local base of talent into passionate tourism professionals in different fields–not only within the operational side of the tourism industry, but also on the strategic side.” Still,Mercera believes that the industry has enor- mous opportunities for growth.“We only get about 60,000 Americans per year,”he reports.“That’s what another Caribbean destination would get in two or three weeks. So, there is still an opportunity to position the island and create the Curaçao brand. The island has it all–beaches, diving, culture. It’s mostly boutique-oriented,with a lot of smaller scale properties. It’s really an island of its own in terms of its offerings and images.” In fact, recognizing the emerging opportunities, in 2014, the Minister of Economic Development and the Curaçao Tourism Board commissioned the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies (DPITS) at the Rosen College of HospitalityManagement at THE CURAÇAO HOSPITALITY AND TOURISMASSOCIATION MILES MERCERA CHATA PRESIDENT the University of Central Florida to develop a Strategic TourismMaster Plan 2015- 2020.The purpose of the Plan is to design a blueprint that guides and directs Curaçao to convert itself to one of the premiere Caribbean destinations by 2020. The Plan contains a value proposition anchored in the notion: “Curaçao: a Dif- ferent Dutch Caribbean.”This proposition offers tourists a “new”destination brand - still maintaining the Caribbean’s tradi- tional SSS (sun, sand, and sea) seasoning, while promoting the island’s safety, sta- bility, organizational prowess, and, finally, its character as a destination finely spiced with a unique blend of eclectic cultures. “Curaçao: a Different Dutch Caribbean” aims to provide the impetus to generate nearly 4000 jobs, germinate two percent real annual economic growth in the first two years, and close the RevPAR (Revenue per available room) gap between Curaçao and the Caribbean region from the exist- ing 35 percent to less than 10 percent by 2020. And Mercera, for one, is on board.“We can remain traditional, or we can try to be ahead of the game and identify oppor- tunities where Curaçao can be a leader in the Caribbean in terms of the types of offerings for the new type of traveler that is looking for the experiences that Curaçao is known for,”he declares.“So,we have to remain focused and stay true to the core business of the Association,while also remaining relevant.”