“Do you offer irrational accommodation? According To The Chatgpt…. there are isolated cases, with exceptions to the norm.. of unreasonable hospitality”, thus Ronella Croes, CEO of Aruba Tourism Authority (ata) began her speech on the occasion of the celebration of World Tourism Day.
Today, Aruba celebrates the extraordinary journey of the hotel industry to our island. He extended a sincere invitation to each of you to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the contributions and steadfast dedication of the exceptional people who shaped the success of our tourism industry. This included many of those who were present during the event. In recent decades, tourism has not only strengthened the economic stability of our island, thus acting as a resilient shield in times of turmoil and crisis, but has also successfully led to economic growth and prosperity.
Although Aruba is very proud of its achievements, as demonstrated during the Global Tourism Conference, where the optimistic prospects for the year 2024 were shared, it chose to refrain from delving into numbers. Instead, it was stressed that although we have achieved success, we must stay engaged and “sharp.”So why have we achieved such remarkable success? What is the essence of Aruba’s success? “Our brand, One Happy Island, is not just a slogan, but it is engraved in our DNA,” said Ronella Croes with a voice of pride.
“Visitors may be attracted to Aruba by the clear sea, the blue ocean and the perfect climate, but they return again and again mainly because of the warmth and kindness of our people. Much of our success depends on customer service, the genuine hospitality of the Arubans and our human capital. Our visitors feel comfortable, they feel safe,” according to Ronella Croes.
Aruba consistently has high scores on visitor satisfaction and we are among the top destinations in the Caribbean according to our guest experience index, which takes Aruba reviews and comments on more than 100 platforms and provides a report monthly.Similarly, at A.T.A. we are aware of the fact that the basic components of the design of the Aruba tourist trip require us to demand higher and revolutionize our hospitality and product offer, while safeguarding our strength and our DNA. That’s why the extraordinary Will Guidara was invited and asked to help “sharp ourselves”.
Today’s travelers and the travelers of the future, especially the high-value visitors we want to attract more, … after all, higher expectations. They also have many other options! We must keep up with the competition in a dynamic and continuously developing tourism industry.
The consumption experience is varied and complex and this taking into account the maturity of our tourism product and the ongoing developments, which include, among other things, the expansion of the room inventory. The different accommodation projects currently under development require diligent management on behalf of Aruba to optimally capitalize on the opportunities presented, but also for the possible social and environmental impact on our island. Aruba’s heavy dependence on tourism requires that our decisions, even the most challenging ones, prioritize sustainability.
The Aruba Tourism Authority event was attended by numerous guests, including students in this branch of the University of Aruba. They closed knowing the reality of tourism today and the commitment and vision of ATA where we want to take our tourism.
