Home › Travel Guides › Caribbean Travel Guide › Curacao › Doing business & staying in touch

Doing business & staying in touch

Suits should be worn and punctuality is expected.

Office hours: 

Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1330-1630.

Economy: 

Curaçao is the most prosperous of the Netherlands Antilles island group. Oil refining, tourism, telecommunications, transport and the financial services sector form the bedrock of the economy.

The capital, Willemstad, is at the centre of a network of offshore banking facilities and other financial services. Curaçao also houses one of the largest dry docks in the western Caribbean. Transhipment is another key economic activity.
The World Trade Centre, Conference Centre Kura Hulanda and Tres Tan Conference Centre offer world-class convention facilities.

GDP: 

US$3.3 billion (Netherlands Antilles, 2005).

Main exports: 

Petroleum products.

Main imports: 

Crude petroleum, food and manufactured goods.

Main trading partners: 

Venezuela, USA and The Netherlands.

Staying in touch in Curacao

Mobile phone: 

Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Handsets can be hired at the airport post office. There is a 5% tax.

Internet: 

There is an Internet cafe in Willemstad. Some hotels have Wi Fi for guests.

Post: 

Airmail to Western Europe takes four to six days.

Media: 


Press: 

English-language newspapers include the Bonaire Reporter (weekly), Business Curaçao and The Daily Herald (Sint Maarten).

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.