Destination Curaçao: An authentic jewel in the Dutch Caribbean

Happy Thursday fellow travelers,

We're starting off with good news this week: The air travel hell that defined the opening of the summer season appears to have eased a bit, with airlines faring better over the weekend than on 4th of July holidays in 2019 and 2021, according to FlightAware.

The bad news is Covid-19 most definitely has not. And some health experts this week are warning we may be facing the worst variant yet. More on that later.

If you're still traveling, fingers crossed it's uneventful – and Covid-free.

We were happy to be relaxing at home for the long weekend, Jeri on the golf course in New Mexico and Barb boiling crabs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

That's why, like weekly trash service, we’re running a day behind this week. But we’ll be back on our regular schedule next week.

Now, it’s time to catch you up on the news:

Insider report: Travel pushes back on abortion-related boycotts

In last week’s edition, we talked to meetings industry guru Joan Eistenstodt about how clients were bracing for fallout for travel from the landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe vs. Wade. Sure enough, a few days later, WJLA-TV reported that Maryland’s affluent Montgomery County implemented one of the country’s first abortion-related travel bans. The policy prohibits employees from taking business- or professional-related trips to the 25 states that have outlawed the procedure, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Immediate impact includes preventing county employees from traveling to Dallas for the Major Cities Chiefs Association Conference in October and to Austin next July for the National Association of Counties Conference.

"While we cannot directly affect other states' actions, we can make certain Montgomery County does not provide additional revenue to states which are unwelcome to women’s freedom," WJLA quoted Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich as saying.

While voting with your wallet may seem like one of the few recourses pro-choice advocates have, the travel industry has long questioned the effectiveness – and broader impacts – of travel boycotts. We reached out to our sources to learn what they're thinking.

"While we understand that the reasons behind advocating for travel boycotts generally come from a place of positive intent, bans on travel can cause inadvertent and significant harm to the millions of American workers and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on tourism,” Adam Burke, president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, told Travel Essential in an interview. “This includes countless individuals who may not personally support the policy positions of their elected officials but who, nonetheless, are directly impacted by boycotts."

Tori Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the U.S. Travel Association, said "travel should never be weaponized to advance political or social agendas, when at its core, it is an activity that builds understanding between diverse people and communities and sustains millions of people who rely on visitation for their livelihoods."

Boycotts hurt an industry that drives revenue for all taxpayers, regardless of party lines, Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, told us.

"When people are thinking about weaponizing travel, they have to understand that they're not harming the policymakers. They're actually hurting the frontline workers," Matej said. "People need to be mindful and ask, what is that domino effect?"

Still, big money is at stake when boycotts are implemented. And that gets policymakers’ attention.

Visitors to Los Angeles, for instance, contributed a record $38 billion in sales to the local business community, directly supporting over 544,000 jobs, Burke said. Travel also generated $315 million for the city's general fund, covering basics like street repair and recreation programs and saving each Los Angeles County household nearly $900 in annual taxes.

Even if wider boycotts take hold, the sheer number of states with abortion bans will likely dilute any impact. For example, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is catching flack for vacationing in Montana at a family ranch despite a ban on state workers spending taxpayer money there due to policies it deems discriminatory toward LBGTQ+ people, reports CalMatters.

Mask up! Experts warn new variant could be worst yet

We don’t care what airlines say about how clean the recirculated air on planes is, any indoor crowds are a Covid risk. In May, Jeri came home from a small ship cruise with the virus, despite being double-boosted. Then, last week, three days after returning from Curaçao, she got an alert on her phone that she had been exposed to someone who tested positive on her travels home. Fortunately, her immunity appears to be holding. But that may not be the case for long. A number of very careful people we know are down with Covid this week after summer travels. And according to the Los Angeles Times, we could be facing the worst variant yet. The story points to a Twitter post from Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of University of California San Francisco’s Department of Medicine, who wrote “that old saw about hybrid immunity (vax plus infection) providing ‘immunity superpower,’ and thus no need to be careful is no longer true. We’re seeing such folks get reinfected within 1 to 2 months.”

And we all know that new surges could mean new travel rules and guidance. France, for instance, is “inviting” people to wear masks again as Covid cases spike with its summer tourism boom, The Associated Press reports. Officials are taking a light approach to avoid reviving protests or scaring away tourists, the AP says.

Indeed, most countries seem to be continuing to move toward an attitude of personal choice and responsibility. Australia, for instance – which took one of the strongest early stances against Covid by essentially shutting its borders for nearly two years – last week dropped its requirement that visitors show proof of vaccination to enter.

Destination Curaçao: Modern luxury meets history in the heart of the Dutch Caribbean

By Jeri Clausing

As I prepared to head out to Curaçao for the opening of Sandals’ newest luxury resort, I was surprised by how many of my friends had never heard of the Caribbean island, or at least had no clue where it actually was.

I knew a little bit about it, having spent time in the neighboring islands of Aruba and Bonaire back in my windsurfing days – once getting a glimpse of the famed multi-colored Dutch colonial-style buildings that line streets and shores of Willemstad from my window seat when stopping there to changes planes.

But Willemstad, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, is just one of the many charms I discovered in what, in my opinion, is the real jewel of the Dutch Caribbean.

Like the other so-called ABC islands in what used to be called the Netherland Antilles, Curaçao offers a unique Dutch twist on West Indies culture and cuisine (think cheese.) The people are friendly, the island is clean with little visible poverty and the culture is one of tolerance – exemplified by the fact that is home to Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, the longest continually operating synagogue in the Western hemisphere.

But unlike Aruba, whose white sandy eastern shore is lined with all-inclusive resorts, and Bonaire, whose main tourism offerings are smaller dive resorts, Curaçao has surprisingly few beach resorts. Most of its hotels are small, boutique properties in and around Willemstad. There is also a more traditional Marriott beach resort.

Enter Sandals Royal Curaçao, which hosted me for its official grand opening party at the end of June. The luxury all-inclusive certainly ups the ante for tourism here, offering the amenities, service and variety of room, bungalow and suite options like those in the more popular all-inclusive destinations of Jamaica, Punta Cana and Mexico. And it’s all done with a uniquely Curaçaon – and less crowded – twist.

The only resort on the 3,000-acre Santa Barbara reserve, Sandals Royal Curaçao feels almost like its own private island. It sits on the southwest corner of the island, overlooking the deep blue waters of the Caribbean to the west and the calmer Spanish Water Bay to the north. And its 351 rooms are spread across 44 acres. Dutch bicycles are parked throughout the property, allowing guests to hop on and off to explore the resort and surrounding reserve, which is also home to the separately owned Santa Barbara Golf Club.

I loved that the resort had a remote feel, but was only about 10 miles from the historic center of Willemstad, whose colorful buildings, I learned on a bike tour, date back to 1817. That’s when former Gov. Albert Kikkert ordered them painted, claiming the sun’s glare off what had been brilliant white buildings gave him a headache. Turns out he also owned the island’s paint company.

To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of all-inclusive resorts and their mass market feel. But even the most intrepid travelers would have to admit that sometimes there is nothing better than a luxury resort where you can kick back and relax without having to worry about how much those tropical cocktails of the day are going to add to the final bill.

And it was easy to see why the Jamaican-based Sandals brand has such a loyal following.

A renovation of the formerly locally owned Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, Sandals Royal Curaçao is the first for the brand in the Dutch Caribbean.

It also boasts several other Sandal “firsts,” including the Dos Awa two-tiered infinity pool and two new room categories, the Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalows and Awa Seaside Butler Bungalows, overlooking private lagoons and the Curaçaon coast. In addition to butler service, guests in the bungalows have access to a small fleet of Mini Coopers for exploring as well as voucher for dining out at select local restaurants.

In total, the resort has 24 room and suite categories, ranging from the new bungalows to one-bedroom and mini suites with soaking tubs, some with swim-up pools, others with more direct beach access and more traditional premium rooms with balconies and small sitting areas.

There are 13 mostly small beach and pool bars, four pools, two whirlpools, eight restaurants and three food trucks, even a disco. And, of course, there’s a Red Lane Spa, conference center and fitness center.

Because of the delicate coral reefs along the western shore, ocean swimming is limited to a sandy-stretch of water in the calmer, protected Spanish Water Bay, where guests can also check out kayaks, paddle boards, water tricycles, catamarans or sign up for a diving excursion.

Not included are range of off-property excursions options. Besides the bike tour of Willemstad, my favorite add-on was a cocktail cruise that took us past the historic capital at sunset.

Like most new resorts, Sandals Royal Curaçao is still a bit of a work in progress. For instance, sod was still being lain in some areas the day of the grand opening party. The in-room coffee makers had not yet arrived. And wait times for food could be inconsistent. But occasional opening glitches aside, all the employees were friendly and attentive, eager to meet all guests needs.

TE Takeaway: Sandals Royal Curaçao gets a solid a thumbs up for delivering what, in the local Papamiento language, can only be described a super “dushi” experience

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