Another workshop took place this week, organized by A.T.A. and APA for the cruise industry. Taking into account the International Tourism Day, the Ministry of Tourism, APA and A.T.A. congratulated and informed those present. Present on the occasion was the Minister of Tourism, CEO of A.T.A., CEO of APA, partners of the tourism industry and the A.T.A. team. During the symposium, Ronella Croes, among others, took the floor and shared anticipated results for 2023, plans and primary strategies for 2024 and reflected on the contribution of the cruise industry to the Aruban economy.
2023
Until August 2023 Aruba received 548,480 cruise visitors, compared to 329,645 cruise visitors who arrived in Aruba in the same period in the year 2022-thus representing a growth of 66.4%. Amounts of Cruise calls up to August increased to 206 compared to 184 in 2022, thus marking a 12% growth. The cruise industry continues to recover and a full recovery is anticipated by the end of 2023.
Cruise Sector Economic Impact
Apart from measuring the number of visitors arriving in Aruba by cruise ships, A.T.A. also measures the contribution of the cruise industry to the Aruban economy. From a study conducted in 2018 it can be noted that each cruise visitor leaves behind an average of $122 during their visit. If you take a look at what the entire industry produces, applying this spending pattern, it can be mentioned that $125,259,234 could be the economic impact of this year. That’s a significant amount for Aruba’s economy. This information will be updated soon. It is anticipated that the cruise visitor spends more than in 2018.
Strategy 2024 + Satisfaction
By 2024, it is predicted that the cruise sector could be expecting almost 900,000 passengers. This demand is the result of good collaborations with Commercial partners (such as FCCA and CLIA) and good collaborations with destinations/ports in the Caribbean. Despite this growth, it is still important for A.T.A. to maintain the focus on sustainable growth in this sector. By maintaining the “high value, low impact” tourism model.
Current studies/research indicate that the degree of satisfaction and recommendation of Aruba is high. Where more attention is needed is on the probability to come back either by boat or for a stay of more than one day. In order to maintain the level of satisfaction, A.T.A. works closely with industry partners to improve and diversify our tourism products that at the end of the day impact on the experience of visitors and stimulate their spending on our island. Among others, it invests in projects such as the Seroe Colorado Masterplan, Mountain Bike routes, beach management, improving the management of visitor flows and the ‘Aruba Quality Seal’. Extra attention is also paid to the education and quality of experience part-something with A.T.A. has already been doing. In relation to this, it should be noted that the A.T.A. team organized this year the workshop focusing on the topics of “Product Development” and “Service Excellence: Wow Edition”. A.T.A. gives thanks and applauds those that took advantage of the opportunity to follow the two days workshop.
