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local Friday 6 January 2023

Aruba welcomed more than 610,000 cruise passengers in 2022

ORANJESTAD – It’s no secret sector also surpassed pro- machine in our port in order
that 2022 was a very good jections made for last year, to receive the cruise ships.
year for Aruba’s tourism. It and by the end of 2022, These mega cruise ships ar-
was a year that began a Aruba had received a to- rive in our island with more
bit slow due to Covid, but tal of 610.474 cruise tourists! than five thousand tourists
as soon as the government This was a recovery of 73.4 on board, and bring a lot
announced their Exit Strat- percent compared to the of economic activity for
egy, which turned out to be last pre-Covid year, 2019. our island. There were some
a hit, everything started im- This is a great recovery af- days in which four cruise
proving. ter two years of pandemic. ships docked in our port
and more than ten thou-
According to the ministry In 2022, Aruba received dif- sand people visited Oran-
of tourism, in 2022 Aruba ferent calls for the first time jestad.
surpassed all projections from Mega Cruise Ships.
for the recovery of the tour- This became possible af- Minister of Tourism, Mr. Dan- an even better year for the pected that Aruba will wel-
ism industry. Cruise tourism ter a big investment which gui Oduber said in a press tourism industry in Aruba. come about 810,000 tour-
is not an exception, as this was made for a dredge release that 2023 will be For cruise tourism, it is ex- ists in 2023.q

Minister of Tourism received promotional T-shirt for “I am Tourism” campaign

ORANJESTAD – To mark the next chapter the opportunities that tourism offers for our
in the awareness campaign “Ami Ta Tur- people.”
ismo” – which means “I am Tourism” in Pa-
piamento – Mrs. Tisa LaSorte, president and The second series of “Ami Ta Turismo” is
CEO of Aruba Hotel and Tourism Associa- launching today on AHATA’s social plat-
tion (AHATA) presented minister of Tourism forms. Different ambassadors will be in-
and Public Health, Mr. Dangui Oduber with troruced each day, who will proudly speak
a promotional T-shirt with the logo of the of their work in tourism with the goal of illus-
campaign. trating the passion of differente dedicat-
ed people in the industry. During this time,
During the meeting, they spoke about the AHATA will distribute a limited amount of
challenges in Aruba’s tourism, including promotional T-shirts to different employees
the lack of knowledge in the community in the tourism sector.
regarding the variety of attractive career
options which are possible in the sector. To meet each ambassador and their job in
According to the minister, “AHATA’s initia- tourism, follow AHATA’s Facebook page:
tive “Ami Ta Turismo” is necessary to con- https://www.facebook.com/arubahote-
tinue motivating, inspiring and bringing landtourismassociation q
awareness to our community regarding

Partnership between the government

and private sector necessary to

revitalize city center

ORANJESTAD – For a while, He said also that together ing the first phase of the
members of Aruba’s Par- with the private sector, in revitalization of Oranjestad:
liament, citizens, business- the following months they Arubaanse Wegenbouw
men and different unions will announce some proj- Mij N.V. This company pre- expanded, with more illu- of the ministry of Economic
have expressed concern ects, for apartments, stu- sented the best offer based mination, more plants and Affairs, Communication
regarding the state of our dent residences and to on the requisites presented the area will have space and Sustainability, which is
city center. They accentu- move government depart- by DOW. to be used as terraces and in charge of the revitaliza-
ate on the responsibility of ments to the city center. public seating. tion of Oranjestad.
the government of Aruba to All of this could not be Discussions on the work
bring life back to the center achieved without close with the company will be- According to a press re- With this first phase, Wever
of Oranjestad, a challenge cooperation between the gin this month to determine lease, there is close com- wants to motivate and
that current minister of Eco- private sector, financial in- the starting date for con- munication and coopera- send a concrete signal to
nomic Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey stitutions and the govern- struction. The duration of tion with all stakeholders to the private sector that the
Wever inherited and as- ment. construction will be about make sure that this project government of Aruba is
sumed with both hands. 50 days. The first phase of goes according to sched- committed to the revital-
Company for the execution enhancement for the area ule and to create the least ization of our city center.
After much planning, last of Phase One announced will be specifically the road possible nuisance for those “Our special attention for
month minister Wever pre- After a process of pub- of Columbusstraat, with its who use this area during this area will not only ben-
sented the first phase of the lic tender carried out by parking area, the crossing the execution of the first efit the area, but it is also
Revitalization of Oranjes- the Department of Public on Ooststraat and Wilhelmi- phase of this project. Qual- a way to create more
tad: enhancement of the Works (DOW), a company nastraat and the road of ity control and the com- economic activity and in-
area of Whilhelminastraat, was chosen to execute the Whilhelminastraat partially. plete process will be in the vestment for our country”,
which will begin this month. infrastructure work regard- Areas for pedestrians will be hands of DOW with support Wever said. q