Ronella Croes, CEO of A.T.A. looks back on the last 40 years with a sense of pride and satisfaction:
Aruba Tourism Authority celebrated 40 years of its office in Colombia. On this special occasion, we reflected on all the successes achieved during the last decades and also recognized and thanked all the partners and collaborators who made this achievement possible.
The Aruba Tourism Office in Colombia opened its doors in 1983 with the goal of promoting Aruba as a tourist paradise and positioning our island as a favorite destination for Colombian visitors.
Ronella Croes, CEO of A.T.A. looks back on the last 40 years with a sense of pride and satisfaction. The challenges that A.T.A. faced during this journey pushed A.T.A. to become more creative in developing and implementing marketing strategies in Colombia – a country that opens doors and connects Aruba to the rest of South America. Thanks to the continuous efforts and dedication of all involved, Aruba today can count on a steady flow of visitors from Colombia.
From 1980 to December 2022, just over 700,000 Colombian tourists visited Aruba, representing 3% of the 27,000,000 visitors our island received from Latin America. In 2022, Aruba welcomed 1,170,000 tourists, of which 370,000 were from Colombia, representing 3% of the global market. By 2023, the A.T.A. projects a 105% recovery compared to 2019, which would have been the best year before the pandemic.
The reception was attended by several special guests, including the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ernst Noorman, President of ANATO, Paula Cortés Calle, Minister of Economic Affairs, Communication and Sustainable Development of Aruba, Geoffrey Wever, Director of Holland House Colombia, Jan Willem van Bokhoven, current director of A.T.A. Latin America Jordan Schlipken, former director of the A.T.A. Colombia, by María Victoria Galán.
Ronella Croes extended words of gratitude and appreciation to all who in one way or another collaborated with the Aruba Tourism Bureau over the years to achieve these figures. “I want to thank all our strategic partners, both airlines and tour operators and travel agencies who have supported and promoted Aruba for the last 40 years”, said the CEO. Thank you for your trust, for allowing us to open new routes and for your enthusiasm and commitment to selling Aruba products. Ronella also thanked the media and content creators, who continue to inspire the Colombian market to come and enjoy our happy island.
During the reception, a recognition was also presented to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Colombia, to thank him for his efforts and collaboration in Aruba and Aruba Tourism Offices.