Aruba, Too Many Hotels … endangering nature and a Disappointment for the tourists that come to Aruba to rest and expect good service.

Hey Aruba … Its not easy being green.

Well here is a completely different take on Aruba and how the developers are in the process of ruining the once, “One Happy Island”. Sometimes its not about how many hotels, restaurants or condos one can build in a vacation spot that makes it a viable location. Sometimes its about the ambiance and the purpose as to what brings people to a particular location over another. With Aruba struggling with “post-Natalee Holloway” syndrome otherwise known as “cover up a crime,” Aruba looks to the answer as being … if you build it they will forget and come. They could not bee more wrong, in so many ways.

Stimaruba says that the unspoiled nature of Aruba is going to be endangered by the construction plans for a hotel near Arashi.

Stimaruba, the organization that devotes herself to nature conservation and nature protection, reacted very concerned on the reports about the plans for the build of a hotel near Arashi.   The organization points out a publication in February 2006 of Coastal Zone Management, in which is clearly indicated that the area is reserved for recreation.   Stimaruba is of the opinion that there are too many hotels in Aruba already.    

From the plans it appears that there is no end to the build of hotels and condominiums and that is according to Stimaruba, a disappointment for the tourists that come to Aruba to rest and expect good service.   That’s what they pay for.   “They are our guests and they have to feel welcome here.”  

Just because one builds more does not necessarily correlate into more tourism. Especially when Aruba does not address the number one PR nightmare they they have in not properly investigating or prosecuting the crimes against Natalee Holloway. Beyond the PR issue, Aruba faces another tourism problem. Many people cane to Aruba and purchased time sharing and return vacations because of its quaint culture and hospitable people. Much of that is all gone and continues to erode as more hotels are built, more workers are imported and Aruba grows farther and farther away from the island in the Caribbean that everyone once wanted to vacation on.

Amigoe, May 30, 2007: Stimaruba is up in arms against hotel construction    

Stimaruba says that the unspoiled nature of Aruba is going to be endangered by the construction plans for a hotel near Arashi.

ORANJESTAD — Stimaruba, the organization that devotes herself to nature conservation and nature protection, reacted very concerned on the reports about the plans for the build of a hotel near Arashi.   The organization points out a publication in February 2006 of Coastal Zone Management, in which is clearly indicated that the area is reserved for recreation.   Stimaruba is of the opinion that there are too many hotels in Aruba already.    

From the plans it appears that there is no end to the build of hotels and condominiums and that is according to Stimaruba, a disappointment for the tourists that come to Aruba to rest and expect good service.   That’s what they pay for.   “They are our guests and they have to feel welcome here.”   Olinda Rasmijn van Stimaruba says that guests of the low-rice hotels keep returning every year, while those of the high-rise hotels are just objects to be stripped bare as much as possible.   Many tourists come to Aruba especially for the environment, water sport, for the clean blue sea, for exotic food, and clean rooms.   They do not come for an island that continues to get busier, with heavy traffic, with a lot of CO2 emission, and where more and more roads need maintenance and repairs.    

Rasmijn continues pointing out the unique characteristic of the scenery at Arashi, where there is still the ruin of an old pig farm, and where a few water birds can be found that actually disappeared from the rest of the island.   Inhabitants of the island and tourists love to go to Arashi for the surrounding area, the coarse sand, and the vegetation.   Also body surfers love to go to Arashi to show what they can do on the waves.   On this part of the island with the beautiful beach and blue sea, people like to snorkel, and scouts and other groups like to enjoy their activities.   Stimaruba that demonstrated against the build of a hotel at Fisherman’s Huts earlier is now pleading again for a controlled usage of the beaches, according to the recommendations of Coastal Zone Management.