For whatever reason, Curacao has struggled for years to draw travelers in significant numbers to the United States. 

But that’s now changing, for one major reason: the opening of the new Sandals Royal Curacao. 

In the first month after the opening of the new Sandals resort, Curacao broke its all-time record for US visitors in a single month. 

June saw 9,584 visitors from the United States to Curacao, the most US travelers to the island in a single month in its history. 

Overall, the Dutch Caribbean destination reported just over 37,541 stay over visitors in June, another record. 

The numbers have helped Curacao recover 96 percent of its tourist arrivals from before the pandemic, according to the Curacao Hotel and Tourism Association. 

You might just call it the “Sandals Effect.”