There are not many young people left on Curaçao. Many of us go to the Netherlands to study or search for better opportunities, and most do not come back. It is not always because we want to stay away. Often, there is very little encouragement to return and too little certainty that our education will lead to a good job here.
We see the same problem in tourism. Even when a Curaçaoan has trained for a particular profession, an employer may choose a foreign worker for the position. Tourism is presented as the most important part of our economy, but many young people feel like spectators rather than participants.
We grow up hearing that tourism is our future, but too often we are not given a real place in that future.
Poverty makes the frustration worse. Young people see the lifestyle of tourists and compare it with the difficulties in their own homes. In some cases, that inequality may contribute to robbery and other crime, directed not only at visitors but also at other islanders.
Still, we do not think it is fair to blame tourism alone. Advertising and television constantly tell young people that they need expensive clothes and possessions to be respected. This growing materialism probably has more influence on stealing than tourists themselves. Schools have reintroduced uniforms partly to reduce the pressure on students to compete through branded clothing.
What we want is not only more jobs. We want to be included in tourism events and to have a chance to develop the island’s possibilities together with our own skills. At present, visitors rarely attend some of the events that mean the most to local people.
The harvest festival, for example, attracts between three and four thousand Curaçaoans each year, but hardly any tourists. It could be an opportunity for cultural exchange, but visitors first need to know that it exists and feel invited to attend.
Carnival is different. Everyone can join the parade, and each year more tourists participate. We have heard that in Rio de Janeiro visitors can pay to march in the carnival parade. Perhaps Curaçao could develop something similar. It would give tourists a memorable experience while creating income for local people.
We do not want tourists to watch Curaçao only from a hotel. We want them to meet us through the celebrations that matter to us.
We are fairly relaxed about the way tourists dress. Topless sunbathing does not necessarily need to be forbidden everywhere, but it can be limited to particular beaches. Visitors should understand that every island has its own norms and values and should show some awareness of the people around them.
Tourism could help us appreciate our culture more, but only if young Curaçaoans are allowed to take part in shaping it. We need employment, training and opportunities to present our own traditions. We also need reasons to believe that returning home after studying is worthwhile.
If tourism gives young people a voice and a genuine role, it may give us something more valuable than work: a stronger reason to build our future here.