Aruba Sees Tremendous Decrease in Cruise Ship Tourism in 2007

Cruise ship tourism has decreased drastically to Aruba in 2007. For an island that has experienced a lull in tourism over the past couple of years, they can hardly stand to experience any more losses.

Cruises generally offer an opportunity for tourists to see multiple locations and provide a glimpse of what a vacation location has to offer. Obviously if people are not even going to Aruba on cruises, that potential form of hotel stay tourism marketing is out the window.

17 Cruise ships visited Aruba this year in October, which is 44.4 percent less. The number of passengers was 25.858, 45.2 percent less.  Up till November in 2007, 316 cruise ships visited Aruba and the number of passengers was approximately 474.000, considering 1500 passengers per ship; a decrease of approximately 20 percent.

The truth of the matter is that Aruba really does not have all that much to offer many tourists. That coupled with the negative publicity from the Natalee Holloway case, many tourists go elsewhere to spend their money. People are making an individual choice not to go to Aruba.

CBA: Considerable decrease in cruise tourism

The Carnival Destiny came for the last time to Aruba in January.  The cruise ship used to bring more than 1000 tourists to the island.  But according to statistics, the arrival of other ships did not compensate the loss of these tourists.

ORANJESTAD – In the growth/drop percentages, a comparison is always made with the same period a year before.  The average hotel occupancy shows a growth of 2.4 percent in October of this year and increased to 75.9 percent, announced the Central Bank of Aruba in her monthly report.  The Cruise Tourism Authority (CTA) shows on the other hand a considerable decrease of the number of cruise ships and cruise passengers that visited Aruba in October of this year.  

17 Cruise ships visited Aruba this year in October, which is 44.4 percent less. The number of passengers was 25.858, 45.2 percent less.  Up till November in 2007, 316 cruise ships visited Aruba and the number of passengers was approximately 474.000, considering 1500 passengers per ship; a decrease of approximately 20 percent. 

The money quantity decreased again with 20.3 percent in October to 2.531.4 million florins.  The percentage of the decrease for just October was 0.8 percent.  The bank claims on the private-sector increased with 12.9 millions.  The business loans (12.5 millions) as well as mortgages (2.7 millions) increased in October, but the claims resulting from consumer credits decreased with 1.7 million florins (0.3 percent). (Amigoe, 12/14/07)