Caribbean Tourism Doing Well Exceeding Global Growth Average, except Aruba … Pirates of the Caribbean

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) tourism has done well in the Caribbean exceeding the global growth average by 5.1 percent. Caribbean doing well … except one. It would appear that many Caribbean islands are taking advantage of Aruba’s misfortune. Plundering their tourists if you will. Making up for past years. Does anyone really think that other Caribbean islands are not exploiting Aruba’s screw ups for their own gains? Looks like the rest of the Caribbean have become the true, Pirates of the Caribbean.

According to that organization, world tourism is expected to grow 4 percent in 2007. There has also been a positive growth trend for the world tourism market for four years in a row. Seems that Aruba is not participating in this growth.

“International tourism is likely to remain buoyant unless major incidents occur,” reported the Madrid-based UNWTO. “Forecast growth of four percent in 2007, while slightly down on previous years (the annualized rise was 5.5 percent in 2005), coincides with WTO long term forecasts putting annual growth at 4.1 percent through 2020.” (The Nassau Guardian)

Things usually do remain “buoyant” unless there are “major incidents”. Don’t they? One is then supposed to deal with said major incident, not hide it is the closet.

“International tourism is likely to remain buoyant unless major incidents occur.”

Which makes there tourism numbers even more devastating in Aruba when compared with the rest of the Caribbean Negative growth in Aruba at a time where the rest of the Caribbean is in the black. Even after last years disastrous fall in tourism following the Natalee Holloway disappearance, 2006 has not been a red letter year for Aruba either.

• The number of visitors in February and March 2006 decreased with respectfully 11.1 and 18.2 percent.   The number of stay over tourists dropped with 5.6 and 15.6 percent in February and March respectively.
•  Data available for the first five months of 2006 show that stay-over tourists and their nights spent on the island decreased by 10.6 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively.
• In June 2006, the number of stay-over visitors and their nights spent on the island fell by 8.8 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively, compared to the corresponding month in 2005. (Centrale Bank Aruba)

What is most interesting of the comments regarding the strong performance of Caribbean tourism are the reasons given.

The positive performance of the global tourism industry has been boosted by the strength of the global economy, as well as favorable exchange rates benefiting European and Asian travelers. (The Nassau Guardian)

Why is the rest of the Caribbean benefiting from these indicators; however, Aruba is not? They are still located in the Caribbean? Maybe, just maybe the Aruban officials will come clean, admit their problem and do something about it. Eventually, Aruba’s tourism will show some growth as one can’t go below “rock bottom.” However, until they improve their image by bring justice for a particular missing person, they will never recover. Aruban officials, its OK to say the “N” word … Natalee … Justice for Natalee.