Diario: AOL survey shows that 72% less Americans are likely to visit Aruba now

Diario; April 5, 2006: Encuesta di AOL ta mustra cu 72% menos Mericano tin smaak awor pa bishita Aruba

“The article continues to say that Rob Smith of the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation also said that the peaceful island that he so loves, perhaps is suffering due to this case.”

Please tell me it did not take ten months to figure this one out? Even though Rob Smith manages to blame other occurrences like hurricanes.

For you to raise your voice and tell our main clients (Americans) for them to kiss our behinds, is very probably what has put us in the position to start to feel the economic pain that is barely now showing itself.

Once again, you think?

AOL survey shows that 72% less Americans are likely to visit Aruba now

ORANJESTAD(AAN): It was a hard knock that Aruba took yesterday from subscribers to AOL, ‘American Online’ which is the largest Internet provider in the U.S. They participated in a survey and it indicated that the majority of them do not want to come to Aruba anymore!

Before commenting on this, DIARIO commented on a recent reportage from CBS News in the U.S. which conducted an investigation, to see how much the disappearance of Natalee Holloway is affecting Aruba’s tourism.

In an article, CBS News says that Aruba is very beautiful and that it is not surprising that tourism makes up 85% of Aruba’s economy, where 800,000 American tourists visit Aruba every year.

However, one of these Americans, Natalee Holloway disappeared 10 months ago. While the young American is being searched for once again, it seems that the constant news of Natalee’s disappearance has hit Aruba hard in the pocketbook.

According to a tourist, Jill Williams, when she told people in the U.S. that she was going to Aruba for Spring Break, they looked at her very surprised. The article continues to say that Rob Smith of the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation also said that the peaceful island that he so loves, perhaps is suffering due to this case.

(The rest of the translation at GetaGrip)