Breezes Resort, Spa & Casino – Curacao Makes Global Travel More Accessible
HOLLYWOOD, FL — (Marketwire) — 09/23/09 — In a tight economy, Breezes Resort, Spa & Casino – Curacao makes travel more accessible to everyday people on a budget. More people are putting off travel because of rising costs. Breezes Curacao Now package makes international travel possible for people who could not otherwise afford it.
Recently Business Week reported an expected travel decline for 2009 of 4 to 6 percent due to the ongoing global recession. According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of international visitors to the top 50 tourist countries in the world was down 8.1 percent from the same time last year. In response to current market conditions, Breezes Curacao Now package offers significant savings.
According to Frances Tuke, the public relations manager of the London Association of British Travel Agents, (ABTA), “The travel industry is expecting 2010 to be another hard year. Now is the time for innovation — for learning to adapt so we can thrive in an economic downturn.” Breezes Curacao all inclusive resorts adapted immediately by offering the Curacao Now package for savvy travelers.
Curacao is a charming Dutch Caribbean island located off the coast of South America. With over 35 beautiful beaches and some of the world’s top diving sites, Curacao is a playground for children of all ages. For serious savings, travelers on a budget should book their Breezes Curacao beach resort vacation by September 15, 2009 for travel between August 15 and December 15, 2009.
Breezes Curacao Now package offers an unprecedented $340 credit, free nights and a savings book with island-wide offers and discounts. Curacao Now discounts include a $200 per person airfare credit and up to $200 in Spa Credits. Travelers also enjoy a myriad of freebies and discounts for participating car rental companies, dive operators, museums, tours, attractions, local transportation and stores including free gifts.
When travelers book four nights at Breezes Curacao all inclusive resort the fifth night is free for even greater savings. All inclusive means everything you eat, drink and do at the resort is covered in one simple price. During difficult economic times, predictable pricing and hundreds of dollars in savings makes exciting international travel a reality.
To book the ultimate your Curacao Now package at Breezes Resort, Spa & Casino – Curacao, visit www.Breezes.com or call 1-877-BREEZES (1-877-273-3937).
Book Your Wedding–And Get a Free Honeymoon
You’ll always find plenty of good reasons to marry in Aruba or Curaçao thanks to the beauty of these islands and their incredible year-around weather–but now the two of you will find five more great reasons: a free five-night honeymoon.
If you book your wedding at the Renaissance Resorts in Aruba or Curaçao, you’ll receive a free five-night honeymoon at either resort! This “Double Your Paradise” promotion can be used in conjunction with any existing package or promotion that is offered at the time of the booking–all adding up to a significant savings.
With this package, you’ve got the option to spend your wedding and honeymoon at the same resort or wed at one and then hop over and honeymoon at the other. (That’s a great option for sharing your wedding joy with guests…but then heading out for a romantic honeymoon!)
Aruba: At the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, the bride and groom can treat their guests to a private island wedding ceremony and reception on the resort’s 40-acre Renaissance Island.
Curaçao: Couples can opt to wed at the Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino, the first new full-service, branded hotel to open in the Dutch Caribbean in 15 years. The resort’s Infinity Beach Club, located on a 19th century fort, boasts a private elevated beach with views of the Caribbean Sea.
“Our resorts in Aruba and Curaçao offer two distinct experiences, much like the two islands,” said Janien Huistra, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Renaissance Aruba and Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino. “We wanted to find a way to allow guests to celebrate their union at one resort and then enjoy a romantic honeymoon
- and a completely different experience – at the other. However, guests have the option to have both at the same property; couples are free to choose the combination they want.”
The Details: Guests must book 75 consecutive revenue-generating nights by December 31, 2009 and travel for the ceremony by December 31, 2010. Blackout dates apply to the free honeymoon, which may be taken any time during the travel window – up to one year after the wedding.
For More Information:
visit www.renaissancearuba.com and www.renaissancecuracao.com
Welcome – “Bon Bini” to Curaçao Now!
Visit the island of Curaçao during this special “Curaçao Now” season and enjoy a vacation like no other! The island is truly a melting pot of diversity, rich history and culture. It boasts more than 35 beautiful beaches, some of the world’s top dive sites and is a UNESCO World Heritage city thanks in part to its authentic 17th century Dutch architecture.
During this special season, Curaçao offers you amazing added value on your vacation package.
Travel between
August 15 to December 15, 2009*
And be eligible for the following Curaçao Now savings:
* $200 per person credit on airline tickets
* One Free night at one of the 19 participating Hotels & Resorts
* $200 credit in Food & Beverage
* One Free shore dive day or One Free 2-tank boat dive at participating dive centers
* One free car rental day
* Discounted admission to Curaçao’s many museums
* Half price attractions, tours and transfers with participating tour companies
* High value shopping discounts in downtown Willemstad
To book your hotel, dive, car rental and others, click through to the dedicated sites of the participants, located on the upper part of the website www.curacao.com/now. You will receive a special Curaçao Now Voucher at hotel check-in upon presentation of a Curaçao Now Visitors pass.
To learn more about Curaçao visit curacao.com and to request a
FREE Curaçao information package click here or call toll free 1.800.328.7222
US Airways, Insel Air Agreement Offers Daily Flights to Curacao
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, Sep 22, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The recent signing of an interline agreement with US Airways and Curacao-based Insel Air has given travelers even more flexibility in planning their vacation to the island of Curacao. All US airways routes will be connecting seamlessly — within 1 1/2 hours — of Insel Air departures to Curacao from Miami International. The agreement also allows for passengers to book via Insel Air on www.usairways.com beginning Oct. 1, 2009. Passengers can also book on www.fly-inselair.com or through a travel agent.
“We are thrilled that US Airways now has the possibility to add Curacao to its list of Caribbean destinations. This agreement helps US travelers to become more familiar with Curacao, often referred to as the Caribbean’s hidden treasure because of our exquisite beaches, remarkable history and our capital Willemstad’s distinction as a UNESCO World Heritage site,” Evita Nita, Executive Director, Curacao Tourist Board said.
The interline agreement is also accompanied by the insertion of new aircraft — the MD-82, which arrived in Curacao last week — into Insel Air’s ever-growing fleet.
Prior to the signed agreement, Insel Air complied with all standards of IATA Clearing House, the international institute where transactions between airlines are cleared. The agreement has since been filed by IATA and published in the current IATA Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreement (MITA) Concurrences.
In addition to the daily service to Curacao on Insel Air via US Airways, starting November 19th American Airlines will offer twice daily service from Miami International (MIA); Continental offers weekly service from Newark (EWR); Delta Air Lines offers weekly service from Atlanta (ATL); and Air Jamaica offers connections twice weekly via Montego Bay from Baltimore/Washington (BWI) Philadelphia International (PHL), and Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
No matter what carrier travelers choose, the island’s popular Curacao Now promotion offers a $200-per-person airfare rebate, $200 food and beverage credit, a free night at participating hotels and more. Curacao Now is available for those traveling through Dec. 15, 2009. For a list of participating hotels and to learn more about Curacao Now, visit www.curacao.com/now.
About Curacao
With its pristine dive sites, secluded beaches, championship golf and rich local cuisine, Curacao offers a little something for everyone — from the adventure traveler to those who simply want to unwind (and enjoy its perfect climate). Curacao’s eclectic mix of history and culture is showcased in its capital city of Willemstad, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on the outer fringes of the hurricane belt this welcoming, unique island paradise is often referred to as the Caribbean’s hidden treasure.
To learn more about the island of Curacao visit curacao.com and to request a FREE Curacao information package click here or call toll free 1.800.328.7222.
SOURCE: Curacao Tourist Board
Plaza Hotel Curacao
When you plan a trip for your forthcoming vacations, you first decide where you have to go. You chose a place where you can relax and enjoy your vacations thoroughly. But apart from the perfect holiday destination, you need to think about an ideal accommodation so as to make it a perfect journey. Accommodation or the hotel you choose to stay in, plays a significant role to make your trip a memorable one.
There are several places in the world that make a perfect holiday destination and Curacao is one such tourist places where people enjoy the most. From the several lavish hotels, Plaza Hotel Curacao is a perfect place for you to relax and treasure those precious moments of your life forever. Curacao is a beautiful Island surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. With amazing scenic beauty and sparkling beaches make this place an ideal spot to enjoy the vacation. Moreover, Curacao is blessed with pleasant climate and freshness all over. This is what attracts tourists from all over the world.
Plaza Hotel Curacao has all the exquisiteness that you always desired. It is located in the historical city center and was built on 17th century Waterfront at the entrance of St. Anna Bay harbor in Downtown Willemstad. It stands tall and proud attracting every tourist who visits this incredible holiday destination. Here are a few things that make Plaza Hotel Curacao so unique and class apart:
- You experience a warm welcome when you arrive in the hotel lobby. The natural sounds of water flowing alongside of the hotel and the delicious Caribbean flavor make you feel relaxed and comfortable.
- The rooms of Plaza Hotel Curacao make you feel more comfortable as soon as you have a glimpse of it. Every room has a view, yes, the hotel offers you -a view with a room- as it has the sparkling Caribbean Sea on one side, the historical city center Downtown Willemstad on the other side and the famous Emma Bridge on one side. So this hotel has to offer you a view with each room in the hotel.
- You can accommodate single or double room depending on the number of people accompanying you. If you are enjoying your vacation with your family, you are allowed extra bedding for your kids too.
- You are served with delicious food with Caribbean flavor and you will surely feel more than satisfied eating the mouth watering cuisines at Plaza Hotel Curacao.
- The Hotel’s pool with fresh and clear water or the cocktail during the late evening with a touch of beautiful sunset will take you into the world you always dreamt of.
- Those gamblers who are searching for a casino need not bother. The Plaza Royal Casino is within the hotel premises where you can play games like blackjack, poker, cards, bingo, slot machines and many more. Casino-lovers can have their fill at the Plaza Royal Casino which is also one of the best casinos on this Island.
All this and lot more, the Plaza Hotel Curacao has all that you always desired. For more details and to enjoy the benefits of advance booking, log on to the Internet and get the updated information about this hotel. Vacations in Curacao is indeed a lifetime experience for all who visit this dream destinations during their holidays.
Know more about curacao vacation rentals and vacations in curacao at plazahotelcuracao.com
Photographs from Surinam and Curaçao in Rijksmuseum, Holland
From 18 August, around 80 photographs from Surinam and Curaçao dating from 1846 to 1973 are on display at the Rijksmuseum. The photographs, some of which are Rijksmuseum acquisitions and some of which are on loan from private collectors and other contributors, tell the story of various chapters from the history of ‘the West’. The existence of several of the photographs taken in 19th century Surinam was previously unknown. The highlight of the exhibition, is without a doubt, the earliest known photograph from Surinam, of a young married couple in 1846.
This photo, a so-called daguerreotype, depicts Maria Louisa de Hart, the daughter of a female slave whose freedom had been purchased, and the Jewish plantation owner Mozes-Meijer de Hart. Her husband was Johannes Ellis, the son of Abraham de Veer, who was a Dutchman and the governor of Elmina in what is now Ghana, and the Ghanaian Fanny Ellis. Their son, Abraham George Ellis (1846-1916) was the first and only Surinamese minister to serve in a Dutch cabinet (1902-1905, Minister of the Navy). Until now, it was not known that any pre-1860 photographs from Surinam existed.
The publicity surrounding the discovery of this photograph prompted several private parties to contact the museum – they also had very old photos of their forefathers. An ‘ambrotype’ taken in 1857 of Martha-Elisabeth de Wees, a former slave, is now also included in the exhibition. Two years before the photograph was taken, she was freed for ‘good behaviour’ and in observance of the ‘King’s birthday’
One remarkable discovery was a signed ambrotype from 1859. The photo was signed by S. del Casthilho, one of the first professional photographers who set up a studio in Paramaribo, only 20 years after photography was invented.
Also on display will be various photographs from 1911 to 1930, a time when the plantation economy was declining and bauxite mining was becoming an increasingly important industry, including photographs from the bauxite mining town Moengo. There is also a panorama of Paramaribo by Augusta Curiel (1873-1937), a famous pre-WWII photographer from Surinam. Additionally, there are several photographs of ‘Black Tuesday’ (Zwarte Dinsdag). On this day – 7 February 1933 – the activist against colonialism Anton de Kom was imprisoned in Paramaribo, unleashing a protest by his supporters to demand his release.
Finally, the museum will display photographs taken by Willem Diepraam (1944) between 1973 and 1977, including of the 1973 election victory of Henck Arron, who would go on to become the first prime minister of independent Surinam.
The exhibition will also feature 20 photographs taken in Curaçao during WWII, including of Princess Juliana’s visit to the island in 1944 and of Willemstad during the 1930s.
The photographs from Surinam and Curaçao will be on display in the Rijksmuseum from 18 August to 5 October. Several of the photographs from Moengo were acquired thanks to a grant from the Maria Adriana Aalder Fonds fund.
Dollarisation option needs more debating
WILLEMSTAD–Curaçao and St. Maarten are advised to seek broad-based support before opting for full-fledged dollarisation of their economies. The conclusion of the dollarisation conference “Opportunities and Risks of Dollarisation in the Dutch Caribbean” held in Curaçao on Monday was that more debate on the topic is necessary.
The public should also look at other countries that have dollarised economies, advised a majority of the featured speakers during the conference held under the auspices of Minister of Finance Ersilia de Lannooy.
The conference, intended to lay out the opportunities, risks and effects of dollarisation, in particular as these would apply to St. Maarten, Curaçao and the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba as new entities in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, turned out to be a very technical discussion more suited for financial experts. It was well-attended by political and financial experts of Aruba and all five islands of the Netherlands Antilles.
St. Maarten’s Finance Commissioner Xavier Blackman told The Daily Herald that the conclusion was that a perfect system didn’t exist and in his view dollarisation was only an option.
St. Maarten
In St. Maarten’s case, the question is whether there is any added value in making the step from an informal US dollar economy, which the island already has, to a formal US dollar economy.
“What are the pros and cons? Adopting the US dollar will mean that we will lose some financial autonomy,” said Blackman.
He lamented the lack of statistical information about St. Maarten, which makes it difficult to make predictions about the consequences of dollarisation.
One detail that emerged during the panel discussions, which some considered shocking, is that the St. Maarten workforce consists of 85 per cent foreign labour.
Blackman said yesterday’s conference had been a good beginning and he had spoken with Minister de Lannooy about organising another conference in St. Maarten.
“We want to attract a bigger audience and have less technical discussions. The question that should be answered is: what does dollarisation mean for the average man in the street,” said Blackman.
Tromp
The discussion on dollarisation was triggered after Emsley Tromp, president of the Bank of the Netherlands Antilles (BNA), stated recently that based on the effects of the financial crisis it would be better to have a dollarised economy, as this would mitigate the negative effects.
According to Tromp, the Antilles did not feel the effects of the world financial downturn because of the debt relief programme and funds made available by the Dutch Government in light of the Social Economic Initiative.
However, if such situation should reoccur in three years, the islands would feel the pinch, Tromp said.
Blackman believed that the islands would be able to withstand another world financial crisis if they took care of their budgetary debts in the meantime, but yesterday Tromp reiterated his recent statement that in the view of BNA, dollarisation was an attractive option for Curaçao and St. Maarten.
Aruba
Jane Semeleer, President of the Central Bank of Aruba, was the only speaker to oppose this viewpoint, stating that maintaining an Antillean guilder should be thoroughly considered.
According to Tromp, the deteriorating deficit on the current account balance of payment increases the vulnerability to external shocks. Therefore, dollarisation is a viable alternative monetary system for Curaçao and St. Maarten, as it eliminates this vulnerability and contributes to sound and sustainable economic development.
Semeleer believed that maintaining an own currency would contribute to the identity of the public in general. She said that if the feature countries complied with the necessary conditions it would be as viable to maintain an own currency as it would be to dollarise the economy.
Semeleer said furthermore that Aruba was surprised by BNA considering dollarising, as this would have far-reaching consequences for Aruba as well. If the BES islands as well as Curaçao and St. Maarten introduce the US dollar as their official tender, it would put the Aruban dollar under enormous pressure.
BES islands
Richard Doornbosch of the Dutch Ministry of Finance outlined how the introduction of the dollar would take place for the BES islands.
The US dollar will become legal tender as of January 1, 2011. All “electronic” payments will take place in dollars from 12:00am onwards.
All accounts will be converted automatically at the rate of NAf. 1.79 per US dollar. The Antillean guilder will continue to be legal tender for one month, but hopefully it will be out of circulation within a week, said Doornbosch.
After January 31, 2011, BES citizens can exchange guilder cash for US dollars at designated banks for a certain period.
The Dutch government will take responsibility for possible exchange rate risk for civil servants’ salaries, taxes and other benefits, among other things.
According to Doornbosch, the decision to dollarise the economies of the BES islands was taken because this would bring about macro-economic stability and economic and financial integration in the region, among other things.
World Bank
World Bank senior economist Lars Moller recommended further studying of the several economies all over the world that have introduced the US dollar as legal tender.
He specifically used Panama as a case study, saying the country was one of the largest non-US economies currently using the dollar.
However, Panama has more than 100 years of experience as a dollarised economy and adopted the dollar for historical and political reasons rather than due to an evaluation of the pros and cons of alternative arrangements or the short-term cost involved in the transition to a new regime.
Moller said the more recent experiences of Ecuador (2000) and El Salvador (2001) were more relevant for Curaçao and St. Maarten, but also too recent for empirical analysis.
Lessons learnt from Panama’s dollarisation experience, said Moller, are that it may improve inflation performance, but has some risk of higher growth volatility, and that dollarisation does not guarantee fiscal discipline, but fiscal rules help.
Furthermore, Moller said, dollarisation can help to ensure financial stability and for Panama it facilitated close integration with the US and world economies.
IMF
Mark O’Brian of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the International Monetary Fund believed it was difficult to come up with a clear-cut answer to whether the advantages of a move to full dollarisation would outweigh the disadvantages. To get a firmer view on this question, it may be necessary to undertake some further analysis in addition to what yesterday’s conference achieved.
If a decision is made to proceed with dollarisation, significant preparations would need to be undertaken, he said. There will need to be new legislation to define an alternative role for the Central Bank. This implies assigning the Central Bank a different objective, changing its functions and tasks, and revisiting its governing structure accordingly.
Also consultations would need to take place with the US Government regarding areas of cooperation, primarily regarding facilitating the availability of banknotes and maybe coins. In the latter scenario, countries might explore the conditions to ensure that the transport of new cash currency runs smoothly and the replacement of unfit banknotes is seamlessly accepted, although these arrangements could also be made with commercial banks, said O’Brian.
Source: thedailyherald.com
Wescot-Williams attends ‘Opportunities and Risks of Dollarisation in the Dutch Caribbean’ Conference
Filed under: Business and Economy, Conferences and Trade Shows
WILLEMSTAD–Democratic Party (DP) Leader Island Councilwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams is in Curaçao for the one-day conference on “Opportunities and Risks of Dollarization in the Dutch Caribbean,” being held in the auditorium of Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles.
This conference will deal with opportunities, risks and effects of dollarization for St. Maarten, Curacao and the BES Islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba). Several high level financial experts are scheduled to speak at the conference, organised by Minister of Finance Ersilia de Lannooy. Featured speakers include Central Bank President Emsley Tromp, Aruba Central Bank President Jane Semeleer, Lars Moller of the World Bank and Mark O’Brien of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Several people from St. Maarten are to be part of the panel discussions in the afternoon, including Windward Islands Bank (WIB) Managing Director Jan Beaujon, Princess Juliana International Airport President Eugene Holiday, Small Business Development Foundation Executive Director Ludwig Ouenniche and St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) President Emil Lee. They will be joined on the panels by their counterparts in Curaçao.
Wescot-Williams, who will return home Tuesday, said the conference is of high importance to the future of the island as it works to country status. She added that DP will seek to work with government and businesses to bring information about dollarization to the people of St. Maarten. “The sooner this can be done, the better.”
There has been a drastic move in favour of dollarization coming from Curaçao in the past months. St. Maarten’s financial experts had suggested the possibility of adopting the dollar as the currency for the new countries in the early 2000s. However, at that time, there was not much support coming from Curaçao for the move.
The islands have a political agreement to establish a joint Central Bank with a rotating presidency between St. Maarten and Curaçao and a joint currency. “This makes it urgent that the people of both islands get as much information regarding the currency options,” said Wescot-Williams, who is a former Constitutional Affairs and Finance Commissioner.
Dollarization has been prompted recently as an attractive option for Curaçao and St. Maarten by Tromp, a feature speaker of the conference, in his yearly economic report.
With this new push to dollarize, a joint Central Bank may no longer be needed if the islands decide to go this route. The BES Islands, which will become Dutch dependencies, have already chosen to dollarize.
The dollarization conference has generated enormous interested. To satisfy this interest throughout the Netherlands Antilles, the forum will be simulcast on radio, Internet and television.
Source: thedailyherald.com