Page 10 - AHATA
P. 10
Diahuebs, 21 September 2023 AWEMainta LOCAL NEWS 29
Ronella Croes: It’s time to elevate and update our products
There’s a lot of interest
in the “Aruba Global
Travel Conference”
MANY international stakeholders have come to meet with not to forget the labor aspect that comes with it. As for the
the local ones to attend the Aruba Global Travel Conference. expansion of accommodations, this is a fact, and as such,
It’s an event where the Aruba Tourism Authority reviews the opportunities need to be optimized and the impact miti-
year, anticipates the next, and highlights the challenges and gated, including its impact on our environment and nature,
opportunities in the tourism industry. In this way, the ATA, as well as the influence of potential labor import, with all the
as the driving force behind our tourism, aligns with all part- associated social effects on our education system, housing,
ners to ensure more development, growth, and improve- security, health, etc.
ment of our products.
Regarding the labor aspect, the focus needs to be on solu-
“I’m excited to stand before you today as we continue our tions for labor shortages but also on adequate training.
successful journey in the world of tourism. This year’s event Finally, the issue of carrying capacity and the necessary
is extra special for many reasons, but the most notable is balance has also been brought forward.
that it marks a historic moment for our organization and our
destination. For the first time in history, we are here together, A significant amount of effort has been made to elevate,
bringing together three of our key markets, namely North beautify, and update Aruba’s tourist product. Taking into
America, Latin America, and Europe, in a single conference,” account that the mentioned points are not unique to Aruba,
said Ronella Croes, Chief Executive Officer of the Aruba but rather Aruba faces similar challenges as other desti-
Tourism Authority. nations, focus has been placed on addressing these chal-
lenges and the actions taken.
“Looking back, we are extremely proud of the achieve-
ments in previous years. For 2023, we anticipate a signifi- It was emphasized that the role of ATA and the importance
cant increase in tourism receipts and project a 21% growth of maintaining a strong management are key. The ATA orga-
for the year 2023. Additionally, the number of global visitor nizational model needs to be safeguarded, and there should
arrivals is expected to surpass 2019 levels, with forecasts be no risk of negatively impacting it. Considering the chal-
indicating a 10% growth by the end of 2023 compared to lenges of the coming year, it is anticipated that tourists may
2022.” not spend as they did after the pandemic. The situation is
expected to normalize.
Along with this, Ronella Croes announced that ATA’s plan The Aruba Tourism Authority is pleased to continue contrib-
and budget for 2024 are ready and approved. In the coming uting to the economic growth of our country. The meet-
days, it will be presented to the Minister of Tourism. We ings have gone well, and everyone is on the same page
anticipate that the next year will become another record- as we continue to take Aruba to the next level of develop-
breaking year for tourism, both in air and cruise, surpassing ment. Keeping in mind that successful tourism development
all previous records. is rooted in the “High Value Low Impact Tourism Model.”
Here, the four aspects must be in balance, which are the
In the plans for the next year, extra attention has been given quality of life for residents, the quality of the visitor experi-
to trends to take into account, including local ones, such as ence, the protection and conservation of our nature, and the
a focus on our security. Another trend is the number of hotel economic contribution to the tourism sector.
expansions beyond existing ones and projects in progress,
