THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD – Dutch Member of Parliament Peter van Haasen of the Party for Freedom (PVV) has submitted a motion urging the Dutch government to exclude flights to and from the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom from a planned increase in air passenger taxes, set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
During a parliamentary debate on the economic development of the six Dutch Caribbean islands, Van Haasen expressed his support for the current efforts toward economic diversification, but emphasized that the islands remain highly dependent on tourism. He warned that raising the flight tax could have serious economic consequences for Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.
“Affordable Air Travel Is Vital”
The MP stressed that affordable and accessible air connections are of “vital importance” for the economic and social development of the islands. Van Haasen pointed to France’s model, where flights to overseas territories are considered domestic routes and are therefore exempt from similar air travel taxes.
Motion Calls for Specific Exemption
In his formal motion, Van Haasen asked the government not to apply the planned air tax increase to flights serving the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. The motion highlights several key points:
The economic reliance of the Caribbean territories on tourism;
The negative impact the differentiated flight tax could have on this sector;
The importance of affordable connectivity for the region's economic and social well-being;
The precedent set by France in exempting its overseas regions from such taxes.
The State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, Zsolt Szabó, has left the decision on the motion to the Dutch Parliament, which is expected to vote on it this Tuesday.
Analysis: High Stakes for the Caribbean
If the tax increase is applied across the board, flights to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom—which are already relatively expensive—could become even less accessible to residents and tourists alike. This would likely impact visitor numbers, disrupt family and business travel, and strain economic recovery efforts post-pandemic.
Van Haasen’s motion, if adopted, could offer crucial relief for the region’s tourism industry and set a precedent for how overseas territories are treated within broader Dutch fiscal policies. The upcoming vote in Parliament will be closely watched by stakeholders in both the Netherlands and the Caribbean.
