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local Tuesday 26 July 2022

Germaine Wever: A tourism professional who simply enjoys her job

The smile is always there, Germaine was using all the must admit that not always is not a cheap destination. the most is a British gentle-
and also the patience, but small scholarships available working in tourism is easy, As the person in charge of man, who together with his
for the Front Services Man- at the university itself, and because working with front desk, Germaine has wife travelled around the
ager of Aruba Hilton Resort, put all her efforts towards people is not easy. “It’s a experienced many who world and come to Aruba
that is not an effort but part maintaining high grades in love-hate relationship”, she didn’t have a problem ex- every year (with the excep-
of her passion for her job. order to remain eligible for explains. “It’s a passion, like pressing their disgust. But tion during the pandemic.”
financial support. in any relationship, same Wever doesn’t see angry The man was very angry
Germaine Wever always as a marriage. You have tourists or guests as a prob- with something in his room
loved communication and While she was in the U.S., to keep the passion alive lem anymore. It’s part of and went to the Radisson
she thought her career Germaine worked at two because otherwise it be- the job and she knows how front desk to complain.
would be in journalism. As a hotels, including a Best comes a routine.” to handle such a situation. “I remember that at one
young adult, she did inter- Western, but as soon as she And working in the sector “I think I have so much time point he walked away,
views for the show InTop in got the chance she came doesn’t become routine on the job, it comes natu- but then he came back
TeleAruba. She particularly back to Aruba, where she if you can find the beauti- rally.” to apologize for his reac-
interviewed others to show worked at Wyndham and ful aspects of tourism. “It’s tion. And from that day, we
what are the options for then moved to the Radis- about dealing with people Her approach is simple: Just are good friends. He even
young adults to choose a son. every day. Not every per- listen to the guest. “It’s the would come eat at home
career. Meanwhile, Radisson be- son is the same; each per- most basic that you learn, with my family, or we all go
And during one of hr inter- came Hilton, but for Ger- son you help is different. listening to the tourist sin- out for a meal together.”
views, she visited Aruba Ho- maine, the change was And if there’s no passion, cerely. Show empathy, and Those are the beautiful as-
tel School, back then at the only in name, because it if there’s no connection, it always say sorry. Always pects of the job, which give
Bushiri Hotel, and her future was her home away from doesn’t work.” And this re- say sorry but also sincerely, a lot of satisfaction, Wever
was determined from that home. lationship is not only with the apology needs to be says.
moment. Germaine fell in the visitor, but also with em- genuine. You have to put
love with the idea of work- Working with passion ployees and colleagues. yourself in the other per- And even though the criti-
ing in tourism, and chose For Germaine, the hotel is “You have to work with dif- son’s shoes, because they cism of a tourist is hard for
to start attending AHS. “I part of her life and her col- ferent departments, and will see the difference.” the community, in general
started the school of hotel leagues are like a family. sometimes you hate the Germaine hears mostly
tourism when I was 19, and Her social media illustrates circumstances, but most of And the reward is more positive comments. One
I never left the hotel world.” the joy that Germaine and the times you like it.” than just a calm guest. Ger- day a guest told her that
her colleagues express maine has experienced dif- Aruba really is ‘One Happy
Scholarship when they’re together – Special guests ferent tourists that she had Island’ and gave as a rea-
The study in Aruba was even during difficult times. Each guest, each visitor is to help, who were angry son that his wife, who nor-
covered by a scholarship “I enjoy mi job a lot. It gives special. And they all feel and now are real friends. mally wakes up complain-
from Sun Development a lot of satisfaction.” But special because they paid “A few of them. But the ing every morning, “today
and thanks to Aruba Schol- even Germaine Wever to come to Aruba, which one who stayed with me she woke up happy”.
arship Foundation, the
young woman finished her
advanced studies at Flori-
da International University,
ready to conquer Aruba’s
tourism industry. “I am very
thankful to have received
the scholarships. My mom
was a widow, she wasn’t
working. My dad passed
away and I didn’t have
any financial support from
that side. The family didn’t
have the means to pay for
a study in the U.S. for me.”
To support herself and pay
the difference that the
scholarships didn’t cover,