Aruba Tourism Down Again Due to Global Economy and Why Does Aruba Check Tourists and Not Underage Teens?

TOURISM DOWN AND TOURISTS CHECKED FOR SWINE FLU WHILE JORAN VAN DER SLOOT NEVER CARDED AT A CASINO OR BAR

It would appear according to the Centrale Bank of Aruba that tourism is once again down on “One Happy Island”. This time they are feeling the effects of the global economy and individuals not having the money to spend abroad to vacation.

Once again Aruba finds itself with a decline in tourism, first due to the disappearance and cover up of Natalee Holloway and now due to the global economy.

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The Aruba Tourism Authority’s stay-over visitor statistics indicated declines of 2.3 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively, in the months January and February, compared to the corresponding months a year earlier. In addition, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the average occupancy rate of hotels and timeshare resorts registered a 4.4 percentage points fall to 78.5 percent in January 2009, compared to a year earlier. The contraction in stay-over tourism may be an indication that the global economic crisis is affecting Aruba. The Cruise Tourism Authority’s data reveal that the number of cruise passengers increased by 8.7 percent in January 2009, compared to the corresponding month of 2008, despite a 10.9 percent drop in total ship calls, signaling an increase in the size of the ships and/or the occupancy rates of the ships visiting Aruba.

However, isn’t this an interesting way to treat tourists as compared to, oh let’s say Arubans, Dutch and Surinamese individuals who are underage. Aruba is checking disembarking passengers as a Precautionary measures regarding swine influenza according to Amigoe.

Although no signs of swine influenza have been registered on Aruba or in the direct region, the government is taking precautionary measures. Passengers disembarking on the island by airplane or (cruise) ship, must full out a separate form regarding their health. Furthermore, the government ordered antiviral medication and protection materials such as masks from the Netherlands and the US.

Hotels are required to report any visiting tourists showing signs of influenza. In cooperation with the Traffic Bureau ATA and Tourism Organization Ahata, the government is looking for a location to accommodate those infected by the influenza.

Yet, hotels, casinos, bars and night clubs on Aruba are not required to check whether their own inhabitants like Joran Van der Sloot were actually of legal age to be in a casino or bar. After all, if these establishments had actually done what was required of them by law, Natalee Holloway and the Mountainbrook teens would never have crossed paths with Joran either at the Excelsior or Carlos n’ Charlies.