Aruba Welcomes More Tourists Than Curaçao

In November 2025, Aruba saw a significant rise in tourist arrivals compared to Curaçao. AUA Airport reported a 12% increase in departing passengers, with 131,275 travelers compared to 117,262 in November 2024. Meanwhile, Curaçao also experienced growth, with passenger numbers rising 9.4% from 59,770 in November 2024 to 65,378 in 2025. Aruba’s increase was notably larger, with 50.1% more visitors than its neighbor.

In addition, AUA Airport handled 6,636 transit passengers and 17 transfer passengers in November 2025. Of the total passengers, 84,797 flew to the United States, 8,635 to Canada, 5,505 to Europe, 25,615 to Latin America, and 6,723 to the Dutch Caribbean.

Airlines offered 160,802 outbound seats in November 2025, a 7.3% increase from 149,868 in November 2024. The average load factor for flights to the U.S. was 87.9%, to Canada 83.6%, and to Europe 89.7%, with an overall average of 86.6%.

In the first eleven months of 2025, AUA Airport handled 1,503,657 passengers, a 5.1% increase from 1,431,362 in the same period of 2024. Flights to the U.S. rose 1.2%, Canadian flights increased 14.5%, European flights fell slightly by 1.6%, and Latin American flights grew 20.5%.

Available seat capacity also grew. The number of available seats rose 1.5%, from 1,791,749 in 2024 to 1,817,948 in 2025. The overall outbound load factor increased from 86.1% to 87.3%, with U.S. flights increasing from 89.6% to 89.9%.

In October 2025, AUA Airport released revised projections for the full year, estimating 1,994,316 available seats in 2025, 2% more than in 2024, and 1,657,778 passengers, a 6.2% increase from the previous year. These projections are preliminary and may change.

Meanwhile, Curaçao also saw growth, with passenger numbers rising 9.4% from 59,770 in 2024 to 65,378 in 2025. The island welcomed 21,537 travelers from the Netherlands, up 2.6% from 20,992, and 15,898 from the U.S., an 8.4% increase. Cruise ship arrivals also grew, with 44 ships carrying 92,819 passengers, an 18% increase from the previous year.

Throughout the first eleven months of 2025, Curaçao saw a 12.9% increase in passengers, rising from 626,573 to 707,546. Visitors from the Netherlands increased 2.9%, while U.S. travelers grew 16.5%. Cruise passenger arrivals reached 738,192, up 4.5% from 706,077 the previous year.

Despite the growth, Aruba continues to dominate in certain markets. Aruba’s weakest market is the Netherlands, with only 5,505 Dutch passengers in November 2025 compared to 21,537 for Curaçao—74% more. Conversely, Aruba’s strongest market is the U.S., with 84,797 passengers in November 2025, compared to just 15,898 for Curaçao—81% fewer. Aruba also leads in the Latin American market, with 25,615 passengers in November 2025.