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A17
Monday 9 april 2018

Hotel Hustle

Column by: Shanella Pantophlet

The Year of Aruban Culture

Recently we had a members meeting and one of the things that was brought up, and not for the first time, is the
fact that Aruba seems to be losing its cultural identity. The response to that from another member was that Aruba is
definitely not the same as it was 30+ years ago and it’s mostly because we have adapted to fit American standards.
The striking part of that exchange was that earlier in the month I’d been frustrated that during what, this current ad-
ministration has dubbed, “The year of Aruban culture”, trying to find any decorations for Aruba day was practically
impossible. Which begs the question has Aruba lost its cultural identity to tourism?

At first blush the answer is a resounding yes, but it is more complex than that. Personally I’ve been referring to the high rise area as “mini Miami” for
years, with its over saturation of people, crowded beaches and array of loud packed to the gills nightclubs. It’s become its own contained bub-
ble where tourists can spend a full week entertaining themselves without ever having to explore more of the Island beyond a mapped out tour
in an air conditioned or open top bus, listening to a tour guide as they make pit stops to take some pictures and have a swim. It’s something we
have capitalized on with first time guests and for some that’s all they ever need to know is the safety of their bubble. Even some timeshare owners
who have been coming to Aruba for 20-30 years have stated that they’ve never been beyond the airport, which I found to be quite shocking.

Tourists are a shifting tide though, where some, especially those with families may not venture out much, there are a new breed of sustainability
minded tourist who want to soak up as much of the Island culture as they can in order to lessen their negative impact. These are the people
that usually don’t stay in a hotel, because they feel they won’t get a true experience of the Island, its people and its language within the “tourist
bubble”. We in hospitality then need to start embracing our role as ambassadors of Aruba to attract that business.

At the heart of it those looking for a deeper connection with the Island and the people want to learn Papiamento, so instead of cleansing it from
our vocabulary in guest areas we should strive to give a friendly greeting in our native language. Provide Papiamento lessons, as part of our ac-
tivities and feature it prominently. Most importantly let the guests know there’s more than jewelry stores or the Bonbini festival on Tuesday in the
downtown area. Encourage them to take a walking tour of downtown or even take the tram which passes many of the historically important sites.
If they really want to experience our culture then, San Nicolas, with its two museums and Charlie’s bar amongst other things, should be seen as
more than a pit stop on the way to Baby beach or a place to visit once a week for the carnival themed “Carrubian festival” on Thursday.

Our very rich culture created by our Melting Pot Island can only be sustained in a tourism heavy economy if we start building it into our tourism
strategy. We have the information at our disposal thanks to the Aruba Certified Program, which anyone at all levels of hospitality should take
and get refreshed on. We need to remember 50+ years ago, when people first took a chance on a tiny Island in the Caribbean, they came for
its untouched beauty and friendly people, who practically became family. It’s time we started welcoming our guests, new and old alike, back
home to Nos Dushi Aruba. q

Aruban born and bred Shanella Pantophlet is passionate about tour-
ism. That is the world she studied and works in, so we might as well call
her a specialist. Luckily for Aruba Today Shanella also loves to write.
And together with the fact that the majority of our readers are tourists,
we found ourselves a perfect combination for a column: Hotel Hustle.