Page 6 - ANTILL DGB

6 Antilliaans Dagblad Maandag 28 oktober 2019
Curaçao

IN MEMORIAM Rudy Dovale

Remembering our honorary Chata member

t is with profound sadness Casa Amarilla, Penha, Casa suddenly the island seemed to
that the tourism industry of Abady, Casa Cohen, Gosens, be very far, too far to sail to,
ICuraçao has received note of Liverpool and Dialdas. ,,Some with not a single boat in sight.”
the passing away of not only our of the shops welcomed the In the meantime, Curaçao
beloved tourism pioneer but tourists with a drink upon ente- switched over to more stay-over
our grandfather of tourism ring their store, rum & coke, tourism, with the arrival of the
honorary Chata member Mr. Curaçao liqueur. The tourists Intercontinental Hotel (‘at that
Rudy Dovale. To his family, didn’t want to leave”, he re- time one of the most exquisite
colleagues and friends, please members. ,,Jeweler Spritzer & hotels of the Caribbean, and
accept our deepest sympathies Fuhrmann had rolled out a red with its own casino where the
in the loss of a team member carpet in front of the door and Curaçaoans enjoyed going to
and friend. there was a porter who was only during the evening) followed by
Mr. Dovale was a driving permitted to let people in when the Holiday Inn, Coral Cliff,
force for the Curaçao tourism others left the shop.” The tou- Haseleger Beach Hotel and
industry and was known as a rists did nothing but shop du- Hilton. Some growth seemed to
pioneer. In the words of Mr. ring their stop on Curaçao. be taking shape in the sector.
Dovale, learning for the future ,,Nobody went to the beach. Dovale: ,,Already then the
we share today a combination of Curaçao was without a doubt chicken-or-the-egg story came
messages, articles and speeches the shopping paradise.” up. Should we build hotels if we
that he wrote in the past years. The same counts for the do not first have more schedu-
In one of his old speeches he Venezuelans who arrived in led flights? Again, this is a cur-
points to a crucial sentence: great numbers to do their shop- rent issue.” Dovale points to the
,,We must convince all Curaçao- ping on the island. Not only for past to learn from for the futu-
ans - especially those working in jewels or watches. ,,They also re. In Dovale’s opinion tourism
the sector - to believe in tour- bought vast quantities of Colga- needs to become ‘the number
ism, and fervently make an te toothpaste and boxes of ex- one money-maker’. ,,Our eco-
effort to bring it to a top level pensive perfumes to be sold in nomy will flourish, and our
and keep it there. Success will their homeland. Excellent busi- citizens will benefit directly
automatically follow.” ness.” Until the bolívar took a from the earnings coming out
According to Mr. Dovale, free fall. The economy of Cura- of the tourism industry. Even if
there’s an important lesson to çao suffered a big blow. we find oil, tourism can still
be learned from the past. The Dovale: ,,We had no back-up become the backbone of our
past is as sure as dawn, with its plan. We were being lazy; we economy.”
great successes, but also with its were content and carefree. The Dovale has no doubts. He has
many mistakes and miscalcula- Dutch, Americans, Venezue- traveled a lot and has been clo-
ted, careless decisions. We must lans, came to Curaçao anyway, sely related to the blossoming of
learn from this for the future. did their shopping and were Aruba as tourism paradise for
For more than 50 years alrea- happy. So were we. Furthermo- the Americans. The old Second
dy, Rudy Dovale (1921-2019) Rudy Dovale FOTO ARCHIEF re, the offshore sector brought World War veteran has run a
has been involved in the tour- in millions in earnings and we large advertising agency for 40
ism of Curaçao. The born of on also for the airline compa- Water with a ‘cuba libre’ within had the oil refinery with a good years, is active in the Rotary. He
Curaçaoan parents American nies serving Curaçao: Pan Ame- reach, the vibrant (then) eighty- ten thousand employees. Every- loves Curaçao, his second wife
left Brooklyn in 1949 to the rican, KLM, Trans Caribbean year-old reminisces about old thing flourished without us Jackie, and tourists.
island of his ‘roots’. Soon after- Airways, Viasa and ALM. Dova- times. ,,Punda was the number having to do anything.” According to Mr. Rudy Dova-
wards, together with his first le is proud of his advertising one shopping centre of the But the eighties were bitter le, Chata is the heart and soul of
wife Helen, he started making work - ‘Penha and Kooyman Caribbean. The only competi- and hard. Not only the Venezu- Curaçao’s Tourism Industry.
advertisements for the hotels still use the same logo we de- tors were Puerto Rico and St. elans withdrew due to the eco- The organization was created a
which were on the island at the signed for them 50 years ago’. Thomas. But those islands nomic crisis. But also, the half century ago, by young pro-
time: Hotel Americano, Avila In addition, he is also known as didn’t even come near the po- amount of cruise ships visiting fessionals with the vision to see
Hotel, Piscadera Bay Club, San the publisher - for almost 40 pularity which Curaçao enjoyed. Curaçao visibly diminished. that tourism would be the Eco-
Marco Hotel and Country Inn. years - of the tourism magazine When you went on a cruise….it New, important players emer- nomic Future of the island.
He frequently worked for re- Curaçao Holidays. went to Curaçao.” ged in the market: Puerto Rico, May his memories keep him
nowned Punda shops and later Looking over the Spanish And every time a cruise ship St. Thomas, Barbados and Mar- alive in our hearts and minds
moored, the Heerenstraat, tinique. ,,The cruise lines beca- and may the family find com-
Advertentie Breedestraat and the Gomez- me more aggressive: shops on fort in knowing that he rests in
square swarmed with people, board, casinos, and top-enter- peace with God.
‘patapata’, he recollects. He tainment. The people got their With deepest sympathy,
mentions Spritzer & stuff and fun on board. Curaçao Curaçao Hospitality & Tourism
Fuhrmann, El Louvre, El Globo, was no longer a ‘must’. Then Association

Rudy Dovale werd geboren op 98 Jaar en 8, & Toastmasters Intl. & Skal
22 november 1921. Hij zou Inter & Spanish Water Resort
volgende maand 98 jaar zijn nv; Charter Member of Chata;
geworden. Hij woonde samen alles gedaan Hon. Lifetime Member of
met zijn Jacqueline op Brak- Chata & Hon Member &
keput Aruba. Dovale heeft van President of Rotary Curaçao;
alles gedaan, maar was tot het Dovale Advertising (full ser- Hon. Sgt Major 16th U.S
Fine Wine & Food Event
laatst actief bij de Rotary Club vice advertising, marketing & Cavalry Regiment, Fort Ben-
8 edition! Curaçao, waar hij ‘honorary public relations), Aruba, Cura- ning; 1 Battle Star American
th
member’ was. Hieronder wat çao en Suriname; Holiday Campaign; 2 Battle Stars Saar
hij allemaal op zijn LinkedIn Publications - Tourist Guide & Rhineland Campaigns;
heeft staan: Poultry Farmer & Publisher, Aruba, Bonaire, Bronze Star for Valor Purple
02 Nov. Egg Retailer; Machinist Postal Curaçao en Sint Maarten; Heart; Conspicuous Cross
Spanish Water Holiday -
NY; Ridder van Oranje; Che-
Meters; U.S Cavalry Non-
valier de Legion d’Honneur,
Importer & Retailer of Boston
Com, USA & Europe WW 2;
Dairy Plant Employee; Belto- Whaler, Sunfish, Robalo, Republic of France Diplome,
7:00 PM - 1:00 AM ne Hearing Aid Consultant; Bertram, Aquasport; Co- Basse Normandie; Special
Cosmetics Importer Aruba, Founder & Pres. Inter. Adv. Commendation, U.S. Consu-
Landhuis Brakkeput Mei Mei
Bonaire en Curaçao; R.J. Assn & American Legion Post late General Curaçao.