Photo: Sharon Evers (TravMagazine) with Sasja Dorfel
Curaçao attracts thousands of tourists every year, including many Dutch travelers.
Not only Dutch people like to travel, Curaçaoans also love to spend their holidays.
Corendon responds to this by opening its first travel agency in Willemstad.
Sasja Dorfel, retail manager Corendon on Curaçao, talks about this exciting development and what it means for the travel industry on the island In the heart of Willemstad, amidst the lively streets and historic buildings and in a building next to The Ritz Village hotel – which has recently also been owned by Corendon -, lies Corendon’s first and only travel agency.
Sasja Dorfel is no stranger to the travel sector and can call Corendon’s brand new Curaçao travel agency her work location.
‘Opening a travel agency in Curaçao is an important step for Corendon,’ says Dorfel.
“It allows us to be closer to our (local) customers and personally help them plan a dream vacation.”
Curaçao
Sasja has earned her spurs in the travel sector and ended up in Curaçao years ago.
‘I started at NBBS years ago, then I worked for SRC Cultuurvakanties and later for My Travel.
In 2005 I went to Curaçao for a year, after which I ended up at D-reizen in Amsterdam.
I was able to make great strides there, even obtained my bachelor’s degree there.
After a few internal changes at D-reizen, I started working at Arke, which is now TUI.
Because I have Curaçao on my CV, I was asked to set up the TUI call center in Curaçao.
That’s what I started doing.
‘The fact that Corendon is not only a hotel but also a tour operator and an airline is now dawning on us’
I am proud that I have been able to expand it from an attic room to a large office. I was going to do this job for two years, but it turned out to be three. In the end, I stayed on the island, but I did leave TUI. I then went on to set up Otravo in Curaçao, which became very successful with two offices and 35 employees, but that stopped at some point. This was five years ago.’ Sasja says that in the years that followed, she started working for the largest beach club on Curaçao, Zanzibar, where she was responsible for sales, marketing and events. In those five years, she has built up an incredibly large network, which she can now use at Corendon.
Expansion
Initially, Sasja became retail manager for Corendon Curaçao, but with the opening of the first Corendon travel agency, her position was expanded to include store manager.
In addition to all the responsibilities that come with this position, she manages three travel agents at the Corendon travel agency, and Sasja is also responsible for the sale of the Corendon offer in the other travel agencies on the island as retail manager.
“Currently, our products are sold at nine other travel agencies, but I expect that we will be able to expand this number in the short term.” Corendon’s first travel agency in Curaçao was officially opened on April 9, 2024.
“We can already be satisfied with the number of customers who visit us, and the actual bookings that are made. You should also know that Corendon was relatively unknown, until the opening of the Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort on Curaçao almost five years ago. But as a result, many residents thought that Corendon is only big in the hotel industry, that it also has a tour operator, airline and recently a travel agency, is now dawning. Of course, that offers a lot of opportunities.’ 
The travel agency offers various services, including flights, package holidays to Europe, Turkey, and Africa, and day passes to the Corendon Mangrove Resort and the Mangrove Aquapark.
‘Of course, it is also possible to book a room in one of the three Corendon hotels in Amsterdam at the travel agency in Curaçao: Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Corendon Amsterdam New-West, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, and The College Hotel Amsterdam, Autograph Collection.
Developments
When asked if Sasja is in the right place at Corendon, she answers: ‘Very bad, I’m back where I belong. In the travel industry, and especially at Corendon. I have an incredible amount of respect for Corendon for how it is developing here on the island – and beyond. Corendon bought Livingstone Jan Thiel Resort in 2017 and is now working it with, among other things, our own flights to Curaçao, the expansion of our own hotel offer on the island and recently the travel agency. I have been working in the travel industry for a long time, and remember well that Atilay Uslu (founder Corendon) started Corendon in 2000. And now look at where he and the company stand. You can only respect that, can’t you?’ Photo: Sharon Evers who, during her stay in Curaçao, visited the Corendon travel agency and Sasja.
