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PAGINA 38 DIARIO DIALUNA 28 SEPTEMBER 2015

JUST FOUR MORE COL- Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes na conferencia di
UMNS TO GO. October 26th Dia di Turismo:
will be my last Diario column.
No, I will not retire, I will tran- Proyeccion di turismo 2016 ta
sition to an online column, pos-
sibly with daily entries. I believe mustra crecemento den tur area
I have been writing columns for
the past 23 years, and it was a lot ORANJESTAD (AAN):
of fun! So four more columns to
go, then you have to look me up on the internet. I thank my colleagues at the Diario for their patience Durante di su presentacion,
and support!
e Chief Executive Officer

WORLD TOURISM DAY. The Aruba Tourism Authority organized a much-enjoyed forum at the di Aruba Tourism Authority
Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino on Wednesday, we saw everybody, we kissed, we’re all united
behind the same goal of growing our tourism industry sustainably. We are however often divided on (A.T.A.) a comparti diferente
how to go about it, exactly. Highlights of the day included a book reveal, Mi Pret’i Wowo, created by
Karin Swiers for the Aruba Tourism Authority, showcasing the island from a poetic and spontaneous informacion y “updates” y a
view point, and Doug Lansky’s entertaining key note speech, warning us against over-crowding, and
recommending growing our tourist product to maximum comfort capacity. Though not a scientific term, duna un resumen di algun di
everyone in the audience understood what he meant, as he pointed our noses in the right direction. Our
lovely actress and poet Rosabelle Illes, tested her skills as comedienne, but according to me, she should e trendnan principal cu tin
stick to her core dramatic specialties from now on. I learned a few things in the course of the morning:
Aruba has 1,180 accommodations listed including 106 hotels, 804 houses and apartments and 270 oth- influencia riba e situacion di
ers, which could be anything from trailers to tree houses. I imagine the tax people are busily collecting
the data off the immigration ID cards to happily collect the 9.5% government tax and $3 environmental turismo di Aruba y e isla su
fee per day, from them all. The Minister called our tourism thriving as he mentioned a few niches he
would like to see growth in, such as Golf Holidays, Yachting Vacations, and Medical Tourism. I am also mercadonan di bishitante. turismo, na 2014 turismo
adding Gaming. No one pays any special attention to our casinos, but with existing technology visi- a contribui cu 2.9 biyon
tors can sit on the beach, on the toilet, or poolside and play bingo on their ipads, as organized by their Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes di florin den e economia
host hotel’s casino. So we should be working on that. Take gaming outdoors, also outside the walls of di Aruba. Compara cu e
our tired gaming emporiums. I sat next to Ewald Biemans and enjoyed his on-going commentary. As a bisa cu aunke cu A.T.A. y cifranan di 2013, esaki tabata
the chairperson of AHATA, his name was left off the list of dignitaries nevertheless he persevered and un incremento di 7.3%. E
shrugged the omission off. He told me a joke, and it goes the following: A successful businessman and su socionan den e industria resultado di crecemento
a not-so-successful businessman meet and the not-so-successful businessman turned to the successful di 2014 ta mas halto cu e
one and said: How did you do it, how did you become so successful?! So, the successful businessman no a cambia e direccion promedio mundial y ta riba e
replied that the secret to his success was that he jumped at all opportunities. But how do you know, that mesun liña cu e crecemento
what you experience, is an opportunity, the not-so-successful businessmen questioned. Ah, that’s easy, strategico ni e prioridadnan cu a tuma luga den Caribe.
said the successful businessman, I just jump all the time! Consecuentemente, Aruba a
estableci pa 2016, loke si nan pone su meta pa sigui crece
riba e e average di mundo y
a haci ta ahusta e obhetivonan Caribe, bisando esaki e meta
ta un crecemento di 6%.
y strategia den liña cu e
Un otro elemento importante
trendnan cu el a repasa den su den e cuadro di prestacion y
rendimento di turismo pa e isla
discurso. ta e ingreso pa cada camber
disponibel (RevPar). Aruba a
E obhetivonan pa 2016 pone como meta pa e RevPar
conoce un aumento di 9%
ta: Aumenta e cantidad di distribui over di un periodo
di cuater aña, esta for di 2014
bishitantenan di estadia (stay- pa 2017. E RevPar a mustra
un crecemento consistente di
over) cu 5.5%; aumenta e un aña pa e otro den e ultimo
añanan y a cera 2014 na
entradanan di turismo cu 6%, 20.6% di crecemento. Esaki
ta un prestacion excepcional.
aumenta e entrada pa cada
Aki tambe ta compara e isla
POSITIVE COLUMN AT ALL COST. I made a decision that this column was going to be positive, camber disponibel cu 9% den cu otro destinacionnan den
no matter what, until ANSA reported at 12:40pm, on Friday, that the Air Traffic Controllers are taking Caribe y Aruba tabata riba
a break from work for two hours, grounding 17 commercial flights in Aruba, and a great number of e periodo di 2014 pa 2017 y posicion #8 na 2011 y 2012,
others heading our way. They put a stop on all departures and arrivals, and by 2:14 the airport had to be na e di shete luga na 2013 y
closed for fear of overcrowding. What a wonderful way to celebrate World Tourism Week. Thank you aumenta e cantidad di turista na 2014 e ta para na #6 esta
Air Traffic Controllers for endangering our livelihood and for showing us what self-interest is, as you den termino di destino cu
pursued your personal advantages, with total disregard for us, afraid to lose your cushy public-sector cu ta bishita nos via barco RevPar mas halto den Caribe.
government jobs as you transition into the private-sector. Aruba Hotel and Tourism
crucero cu un minimo di 3% Association a proyecta cu
e RevPar lo crece cu 7% na
di crecemento compara cu 2015 y ta premira cu e trend
di crecemento di 7% ta sigui
aña 2013. otro aña.

Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes a Turismo crucero no a
conoce aumento na 2015 y
BIKING TO WORK. With the new parking fees downtown, some of my adorable friends decided it splica cada un di obhetivonan esaki ta debi primeramente
was time to start biking to work. They were mostly turned off by the thought of having to spend hours in na cancelacion di e barco
line at AruPark to pay for and obtain their stickers, on the 3rd of every month from now on, because you na e invitadonan. El a haci Gemini cual compañía kier a
can’t pay the amount online! Their report: So after buying new tires, and a comfy bike-seat gel-cover, cuminsa cu un operación na
they took off into the street. Bottom line, biking in the morning is a challenge, as you arrive at work diferente comparacion unda lo a bishita Aruba tur
all sweaty and sticky, requiring a bird-bath in the tiny available washroom basin. And that’s how they siman durante di henter aña.
came up with carpooling, a foreign concept in Aruba, but a popular one in less affluent corners of the relevante tocante di E mercado lo caba aña cu un
world. So carpooling in the AM, and bike riding in the PM, helmet on, for fear of taxi and bus drivers. caida di 9% den cantidad di
The following in the list of advantages this MO provides: Great cardio workout, of 6 to 10 kilometers desaroyonan mas importante. bishitante.
daily; Lovely sights and sounds of gorgeous old trees and colonial architecture; zooming around the
tram and cars; skirting around pedestrians; the rattling sound of Main Street pavers under tires; familiar Den e prome ocho lunanan Sinembargo Pullmantur ta
colleagues and motorists; racing downhill with the wind in the back, after the Ponton uphill; greeting bolbe cu bishitanan durante di
other bikers; the adoring looks of unfamiliar motorists who appreciate their backsides; and mostly the di 2015, Aruba a conoce henter aña y Holland America
invigorating feeling getting home red-cheeked and huffing! There’re also good news, they see less dogs Line, Royal Caribbean
in the street, perhaps the Ley Di Cacho is making a difference. un crecemento fuerte den Cruises, Celebrity y P&O ta
aumenta nan bishitanan na
e cantidad di bishitantenan 2016 y ta proyecta cu, compara
cu 2015 e crecemento lo ta di
di estadia. A cera augustus 15%.

“year-to-date” (januari 1 –

augustus 31) cu un crecemento

di 14.8%. Nos mercado

primario, esta Merca, a crece

TEDX, A SUCCESS. I am a faithful TED follower on my iphone, and I listen to the short talks about cu 9% durante di e periodo
Technology, Entertainment & Design, at every stolen moment, at the hairdresser, or the dentist’s office.
TED talks present ideas worth sharing, and the conference organized here also delivered on its promise menciona.
to educate. The evening at Cas Di Cultura was attended by beautiful people, a sophisticated young audi-
ence that hung in there until almost midnight. Glenn Thode, described a university I wanted to attend. Caribbean Tourism
Varelie Croes, assured us that technology will evolved wherever we want to take it. Rachel Brathen
told a good personal story, but Luitenant-kolonel der mariniers J.P.C. (Jan) ten Hove, Commandant Organization (CTO) a indica
Marinierskazerne Savaneta, stole the show, by promising a man-made bridge in the location where the
natural bridge once stood. He finished his presentation and was about to leave the stage, but did not, cu Aruba ta e destinacion
instead he revealed his idea of starting, he did not say starting and finishing, a replacement titanium
bridge. The jury is still out about that project, which seems crazy to me, imagine to completely rebuild den Caribe cu e crecemento
the Colossus of Rhodes, or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but then again, it will be a tourist attrac-
tion, and as long as you do not use public funding the family operating the Natural Bridge refreshment di mas rapido den e cinco
station will be happy!
prome lunanan di e aña aki.

Aruba ta den e “top 3” di

destinacionnan Caribense mas

bishita pa Mericanonan tambe

ora analisa e mesun periodo y

e cifra nan di CTO.

INDULGE ARUBA. Mark your calendar October 3rd, at the Ritz Carlton, a spectacular food and wine E mercado di Venezuela
event organized by executive chef Stephen Toevs, with no less that 24 of Aruba’s best restaurants and
wine purveyors. The chef reports he always had a dream of creating a food festival, and when the Res- ta e di dos mercado mas
taurant Week idea popped, he decided to go to work. Tickets are on sale at the front desk of the Ritz-
Carlton and they are starting to move fast! importante pa Aruba y aunke

e mercado tin su retonan e ta

keda un mercado importante

EDUCATION, IN ENGLISH OR IN DUTCH. I thought about the issue of education long and hard, y A.T.A. ta sigui monitor tur
and decided that the misguided patriot who suggested to switch the language of the island’s elementary
school system from Dutch to Papiamento, was the one single-handedly responsible for the fact that desaroyo y factornan cu por
students’ Dutch language skill deteriorated to the extent that they now fail to enter the Dutch secondary
schools. Duh. As we all know, the Dutch system is difficult and demanding, while the American system influencia e tipo di bishitante
is more-user friendly, and student-oriented. If we switch the island’s schools to English, the benefits will
be many and we could warmly welcome the kids of the Minister of Education, the Minister of Economic cu e isla ta haya for di e pais
Affairs, the President of Parliament, and the Leader of the Opposition back from private schools to the
public ones! RC@visitaruba.com bisiña, aunke e ta hopi dificil

pa formula proyeccionan na

un manera mas realistico cu

ta posibel.

Pa loke ta trata entrada di