ARUBA As tourists reach record numbers, the authorities take a protective, eco-friendly approach

Preserving the natural heritage

The number of visitors to Aruba broke the million mark for the first time last year – 5.5 per cent more than in 1999. This record-breaking figure seems set to be broken again in 2001, as the island’s tourism authorities step up their advertising campaigns across Europe. Nearly two-thirds of tourists who arrived in Aruba last year hailed from the US, an 8.5 per cent increase on the previous year. The second-highest number came from Venezuela, just 15 miles away on the mainland. Around 3,000 Britons visited, a number that is growing steadily despite the lack of direct air connections from the UK. The Netherlands Antilles, of which the three main islands are Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, are probably the least-known islands to the British. KLM provides the only direct flights from Europe to Aruba, where the modernised Queen Beatrix international airport was inaugurated last September. Only a handful of British tour operators include the island in their brochures, and the independent traveller is more likely to opt for the more frequent US scheduled and charter flights from Miami or New York. Aruba, with an area spanning only six by 20 miles, is unlike any other Caribbean island. The desert-like interior is the result of very low humidity and a yearly rainfall averaging just 24 inches. The cacti, aloes and dramatic rock formations create a distinct landscape, as well as providing fascinating territory for eco-tourists to explore.

Tourists outnumber Arubans 10 to one in an area of six-by-20 miles

The 96,000 Arubans have Dutch, African, Spanish and Caquetio-Indian ancestry. Among this friendly mix are settlers from North and South America, Europe and Asia. Many islanders speak four languages, although Dutch is the official tongue. With tourists outnumbering Arubans by 10 to one, there have been fears that the islanders’ culture could be swamped. Although tourism is the main revenue-earner and employer, the government has called a moratorium on the construction of new hotels on the southwestern coastline. Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, acting managing director of the government-run Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA), says: “We have put more emphasis on cultural activities and on the preservation of our heritage to show to tourists. Some of the European visitors have said we are not promoting Aruba enough. We know that the trend is towards tourists who want to learn more about our culture and to see our nature preserved. “Sustainable tourism has become important, especially among the up-market tourists, and we have to put more emphasis on that,” says Ms Jansen-Feliciano. “We have grown very fast over a short period and we know that we cannot grow much more.

Our space is limited and we have had to import workers from abroad. There is concern in the government and the private sector to preserve what we have.” There are 27 hotels along the southwestern shoreline, along with some time-share villa developments on the eastern shore. The ATA, in cooperation with the representative private sector Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA), is pursuing a policy of upgrading hotel accommodation to five-star status. The government has reinforced this concept by setting up subsidised courses to train employees for the hospitality industry. “I am Aruban myself and grew up with a natural feeling of respect and hospitality,” says Ms Jansen-Feliciano. “The private sector has its own training programmes and we, on our part, work with the Department of Education to emphasise the importance of both tourism and hospitality.” Horace Hord, director general of AHATA and a former director of American Airlines, says: “We want to pursue the more affluent type of traveller, with the objective of increasing revenues.

If we attract wealthier visitors, we will ultimately be able to spend more money in the local economy. Room rates can be increased as well, which will enable the hotel operators to improve the quality of their product. We don’t just want to bring in numbers, we want to bring quality.” Mr Hord continues: “Every Aruban should understand that the ecological aspects are just as important as our beautiful hotels, probably more important because, if the ecology is not maintained in terms of protecting the environment, we don’t have a product.” Aruba is well-placed to capitalise on the rapid growth in cruise tourism. In the first eight months of last year, the number of visitors in this sector rose by 60 per cent – from 162,433 in 1999 to 314,800. Remigio Wever, managing director of the state-run Cruise Tourism Authority, is optimistic: “It looks like we will maintain this trend for the coming years. We would like to see more ships coming to Aruba in the summer months. We hope this kind of tourism will spread more evenly throughout the year,” he says.

Aruba has to make its mark in a fiercely competitive cruise market, as the luxury liners leaving from Miami or Fort Lauderdale have many other destinations to choose from in the Caribbean. “We try to get the ships that carry up-market visitors. In our surveys, 33 per cent of passengers say they would be likely to return to Aruba, either as a stay-over visitor or on another cruise,” adds Mr Wever. Lili Beke-Martinez, the minister of economic affairs, tourism, social affairs and culture, attributes Aruba’s increasing popularity to the sophisticated tourism infrastructure, more air services from the US, and the success of conventions. She also says the island appeals to families as well as honeymooners, which is a fast-growing niche market, not only in Aruba but in many other Caribbean destinations. “We welcome honeymooners and invite them to experience the friendliness of our people, as well as to discover why Aruba is one of the hottest resort destinations in the Caribbean,” adds Dr Beke-Martinez.