MEP: 2008 Successful Tourism year in Aruba …. Denial, Its Not just a River in Egypt

Who knew that “D’Nile” was not only a river in Egypt, but existed in Aruba as well.

What ever happened to truth in advertizing? The following Arubam tourism piece is a cross between “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” and Baghdad Bob telling the world that the US military was not at the gates of Baghdad.

Baghdad Bob (Former Iraqi mouth piece)

Notice the resemblance?

Nelson Oduber: Current Aruban PM and mouthpiece

Aruba is going to have another successful year in 2008. Another? Doesn’t that presume that they had earlier successes? Talk about a desperate attempt to pat one’s self on the back. Is it election time already in Aruba where the Oduber government feels the need to inflate the truth about tourism? Also, it was not too long ago where there were news articles condemning the Minister of tourism and MEP for their handling of Aruban tourism and the Natalee Holloway case … HERE, HERE and HERE.

Thanks to Briesen, the tourism on the island increased from 691.000 tourists in 2001 to 754.000 in 2007.

This is thanks to the dynamic policy of the Oduber-cabinet and the huge efforts of Minister Edison Briesen of Tourism and Transport.

First, who knows whether the numbers are actually accurate and factual. Second, Aruba is touting head counts as a victory and a successful year? Talk about spin. Any one who knows anything about numbers knows they can be changed to show anything in a positive manner. Let’s take the pathetic attempt above to show Aruban tourism is a positive light.

• Spin cycle #1: Aruba uses initial tourism numbers from 2001 as their starting point. Question, what event happened in 2001 that greatly affected all travel and visits abroad? Answer: September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in NYC, the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 when brave and heroic passengers took down the plane in a field in Pennsylvania preventing more carnage. Tourism to a severe hit in 2001 in the Caribbean for obvious reasons in the aftermath of 911. Aruba has held safety and tourism conferences on the impacts of tourism in a post 9–11 world. So we know that Aruba is staring from a baseline tourism number that is lower than normal.

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Aruban Government Tackling the Big Issues … The Proliferation of Palapas … Toleration of an Issue Until its an Issue …

The Aruban rule of look the other way government and if we look away hard enough, maybe it will just go away and disappear.

The Aruban Government is finally getting serious and taking on the big issues that plague its citizens and tourists. Is it public safety and the increased crime rate? Is it drug trade and money laundering? Is it the increasing inflation, taxes and the bbo? Is it the drug addition problem? Is it Aruba’s excessive government spending? Is it Aruba’s economic dependence on tourism? The answer is, no, no, no, no, no no, and no.

The Aruban government is tackling the hard biting issue of the proliferation of “Palapas” on its beaches. Way to take on the issue of the day that so greatly affects the Aruban people and tourists.

The proliferation of palapas has consequences for the beaches of Palm beach and Eagle Beach. A lot of structures have risen lately on Palm Beach in front of the hotels. Especially the number of palapas is growing on Eagle Beach. This is due to the many timeshare complexes that are being built on the other side of Irausquin Boulevard.

Maybe the real reason why the government is stepping in with regards to the proliferation of palapas is not because they are being built on public beaches, but instead the fact that there now appear to be more reed huts than actual tourists in Aruba.

One may ask why suddenly Aruba finds itself with a proliferation of “palapas” on public beaches. The reason is like everything that takes places there, it was tolerated and everyone looked the other way until the situation got out of control where it suddenly becomes a concern. It appears to be the MO in Aruba. Looks the other way until it becomes a glaring problem. Sound familiar?

The government is going to take on the palapas’ proliferation
(June 28, 2008 Amigoe)

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Price of Oil Hits $140 a Barrel … Politicians Have Done Nothing for 30+ Years

Politicians have done nothing with regards to energy policy in the US for 30+ years and a vote for Obama will continue the pattern. A vote for Obama means no drilling and no immediate help to “We the People”. If politicians do not want to use any responsible form of help to reduce the burden on Americans for energy costs, then they should be voted out of office. The help needs to be immediate, not 30 years down the road.

As the price of a barrel of oil reached $140 for the first time ever and prices at the gas pump are over $4.00 a gallon and increasing, ask yourself why? How is it that our Federal government, Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike, all have done nothing for 30+ years except act like absentee landlords to the American public.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com)  Oil reached $140 a barrel for the first time ever Thursday following reports that Libya may cut production and an OPEC official said crude could hit $170 a barrel this summer.

Meanwhile, the dollar’s decline against the euro added further upward price pressure.

Every single option must be explored which includes short term offshore drilling for oil and drilling in ANWR, medium term ideas like increasing nuclear and energy and long term alternative fuel implementation. It is obvious that we must wean ourselves off of foreign oil and in many respects oil in general. However, that will not happen over night. We also must conserve; however, that is not the only answer.

The truth of the matter is that all options must be explored and implemented. The political bickering in Washington, DC must end and end now. The oil crisis is destroying the American economy and individuals. This is now a matter of national concern and national security. Politicians have sat back and made enough excuses, on both sides. There is no reason why a solution cannot be made to solve the problem and it is their job to do it for “We the People”.

However, the political posturing and nonsense goes on. As Republican Presidential candidate John McCain says drill offshore, Democratic candidate Barack Obama criticizes him for it.  Why the criticism? Because in the 2000 campaign McCain favored a moratorium on offshore drilling. Earth to Obama … IT AIN’T 2000 YOU IDIOT!!!  It costs $30 a barrel in 2000.  The year is 2008, gas and oil prices are through the roof and people are suffering. Funny, Obama sat in his church pews for 20 years and listened to anti-American rhetoric from his pastor Reverend Wright and seemed to change his mind in 2008 to finally distance himself. What’s the difference?

What does Obama think is going to happen this winter to the people in New England (that bastion of blue states) when it comes time to heat their homes with oil? The voters in New England best take a good look at what they are about to spend in heating bills under an Obama Administration.

The likely Democratic nominee pledged to keep in place the federal government’s 27-year moratorium on offshore drilling, and criticized McCain on changing his position on the matter.

Said Obama: “The politics may have changed but the facts haven’t.”

In McCain’s 2000 campaign, the Republican said he favored the moratorium. This week, he said he supports lifting it to give states the option to drill, and cited as a reason alleviating the pressure on consumers facing high gas prices.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded that Obama is rejecting measures needed to lower gas prices. “The American people cannot afford Barack Obama’s do-nothing, out-of-touch energy policy,” Bounds said.

This is what energy policy has become in the US. One side trying to adapt to changing global conditions and righting a wrong, while the other side merely criticizes.

Economic Slow Down Spells Tourism Worries for Caribbean (Aruba, Puerto Rico …)

The first things to go when there is an economic slow down are the luxuries. One such luxury to Americans are vacations abroad. Thus with the soaring fuel costs and a worrisome US economy, the Caribbean tourism waits in the balance to see the effects of high ticket prices and reduced airline flight. The result will be a decline in tourism to the Caribbean. The second thing to remember is discounted hotel rates to meet hotel occupancy standards mean that occupancy rates are no longer comparable from year to year.

Expensive jet fuel and a soft American economy are threatening to sink Caribbean tourism as airline ticket prices soar and flights are sharply reduced, choking the flow of the vacationers that many tiny islands depend upon.

Tourism is the economic cornerstone of the Caribbean, which drew more than 15 million visitors last year to colonial cities and carefree beaches.

”Billions of dollars of investment are being exposed and thousands of jobs are being exposed,” said Allen Chastanet, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

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Drill Baby Drill … 67% Support Offshore Drilling … End the Federal Ban if Offshore Drilling

Just Drill Baby … Doesn’t it actually seem un-American to have a supply of oil right here in the United States, yet instead refuse to drill. Instead the US makes itself dependent  upon others for that very same oil while paying a ridiculous price per barrel of oil. Why does our government want America to be dependent on foreign countries for its oil supply when they can drill at home? When it comes to oil dependency, there’s no place like home.

Government needs to stop pandering to environmentalists and start caring about the people who voted them into office. If politicians do not think that the high price of gas is not political issue that is affecting millions of voters, they best rethink that notion. The politician who best present their price of gas policy as a winning issue to the voters will win in November.

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 67% of individuals polled support offshore drilling in the United States and 64% believe that drilling will lower prices at the pump. John McCain called for an end of the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. I think McCain is only saying what most Americans obviously feel. Enough is enough. The high price of oil has reached such levels that it is affecting every aspect of the American economy.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey—conducted before McCain announced his intentions on the issue–finds that 67% of voters believe that drilling should be allowed off the coasts of California, Florida and other states. Only 18% disagree and 15% are undecided. Conservative and moderate voters strongly support this approach, while liberals are more evenly divided (46% of liberals favor drilling, 37% oppose).

Sixty-four percent (64%) of voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that gas prices will go down if offshore oil drilling is allowed, although 27% don’t believe it. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of conservatives say offshore drilling is at least somewhat likely to drive prices down. That view is shared by 57% of moderates and 50% of liberal voters.

John McCain seems to be the only Presidential candidate who hears the will of the people and looks for a way to end high oil prices. In this day and age we can drill for oil in an eco-friendly manner. Caring for the environment does not mean that one should want to destroy the American economy. McCain wishes to drill responsibly. As Red State points out, “the Obama campaign has come up with no proposals whatsoever aimed at increasing the supply of oil in order to alleviate current price pressures.”

“We must embark on a national mission to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil,” McCain told reporters yesterday. In a speech today, he plans to add that “we have untapped oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. . . . It is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions.”

Gateway Pundit: Bush Will Call On Congress To Lift Ban On Offshore Drilling Tomorrow

McCain touts energy conservation and oil exploration

Rising oil and gasoline prices have put energy concerns at the center of the contest between McCain and presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama to succeed President George W. Bush after the November election.

Is it Possible … The King of Beers Budweiser … to be Owned by Belgian Brewer? $46B Bid by InBev

Stella, say it isn’t so … Budweiser, The King of Beers, the nation’s biggest brewery to be sold to a foreign brewer, InBev? It may not get any more un-American than that.  A piece of Americana, Anheuser-Busch Cos, may be sold off to a Belgian brewer for $46 billion. Some times one cannot put a price tag on branding that is synonymous with American culture. Spuds MacKenzie just rolled over in his grave after reading these headlines.

ST. LOUIS —  Anheuser-Busch Cos., the nation’s biggest brewery, received a $46 billion buyout offer Wednesday from a Belgian brewer that might be too good to refuse.

The maker of Budweiser beer disclosed late Wednesday that InBev SA, whose brands include Beck’s and Stella Artois, delivered an unsolicited all-cash bid of $65 a share. It’s unclear whether senior Anheuser-Busch executives think the deal makes sense, but shareholders may be drawn to the offer that represents a sizable premium over the company’s closing price of $58.35 Wednesday.

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Aruba Tourism Claims High Occupancy Hotel Numbers … Too Bad They are Not from America & Too Bad Numbers Can Be Deceiving

First let’s clear up yet another fact that Aruba has got wrong, the US is not in a recession. That being said Aruba is once again touting supposedly strong tourism numbers for 2008. Of course as anyone knows any number can be manipulated to look good. With the cost of living increasing and CPI on the rise, the reality is that tourism would have to far out perform what it did in 2005.

Rob Smith, director of Hotel- and Tourism Organization Ahata.  He anticipates that 2008 will close with 76.5 percent room occupancy, which is going to look like 2005, which was the best year ever for our island.

Baghdad Bob Says Aruba Tourism is Safe

Even though with the high cost of fuel AHATA front man Rob Smith believes that the prospects for tourism in Aruba will be good. Mr. Smith, Baghdad Bob also said that American troops were not at their door step and were bogged down in the desert. Fuel costs are effecting everyone, especially those pesky, all important planes at American Airlines that canceled flights that actually bring tourists to Aruba.

The AHATA would like everyone to believe that they are equal to pre-Natalee Holloway tourism numbers. That is not entirely true. Even if all numbers reported are true that the hotel occupancy rates are equal to 2005, there are two truths that have gone unstated. One, less percentage of Americans are traveling to Aruba than in 2005. Two, does anyone think that the hotel rates are the same in 2008 as compared to 2005? Aruba travel packages have been so slashed to entice tourism that the occupancy rate would have to be 50 to 60 percent higher to even break even. Numbers can be deceiving and those in the travel industry only with to put out what makes them look good. Let’s talk revenues vs. expenses and the bottom line.

Ahata: 2008 is going to be a good year despite the recession in the US (Amigoe: June 9, 2008)

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Aruba Economy: Price increase 0.8 percent … CPI increased with 3.11 percent this year to 136.84

Price increase 0.8 percent (Amigoe: June 9, 2008)

ORANJESTAD – The Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) announced that the consumer price index (cpi) went up again with 0.83 percent in May, compared to April.  This year, the prices increase every month: compared the month before, the increase was 0.47 in March and 0.5 in April, and because of this, the cpi increased with 3.11 percent this year and is now 136.84.  The increase of the cpi in the first 5 months of this year is lower than in the same period in 2007, which was 4.52 percent. 

The prices for transport and communication, food, recreation, and household increased in April.  The prices that increased the most are in the food sector; with 1.18 percent average.  The prices for ready-made food increased with 2.95 percent, for vegetables, potatoes and fruit, 2.7 percent; for cereal products, milk products, sugar, and sugar products, more than 1.5 percent.

Also the prices for transport and communication increased the most, 1.97 percent; own transportation 3.38 percent, and auto-parts, 2.45 percent.

The cpi increased with 8.72 percent in the past 12 months, 4.31 percent compared to May 2006 – May 2007; in the past 24 months, 7.64 percent. 

The cpi is the most important criterion for the inflation.  The increase of the Inflation is almost the same as that of the cpi.

American Airlines and American Eagle Cancel Flights to Aruba … There is a Demand to go to Aruba?

American Airlines and American Eagle has cut and canceled virtually all flights from the US to Aruba. Further signs that not only has the increase in fuel prices made these cuts necessary, but also demand to the Aruban tourism destination. High prices of fuel are obviously going to be the public reason what is given for the cuts and cancellation of flights; however, it is obvious that if the demand for travel to Aruba far outweighed the fuel costs there would have been no need to make a decision for the cut back in air travel.

Effective September of this year, the direct AA-flights from New York to Aruba on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are going to be cancelled.  Also American Eagle’s flights from San Juan to Aruba and St. Maarten will be cancelled, same as the jet-flights between Puerto Rico and St. Maarten.

American Airlines Flying Away from the Caribbean

In the meantime, Caribbean tourism types are freaking out. Without planes coming in, how are all those sun-seeking tourists gonna get to the islands?

UPDATE I: Continental becomes latest U.S. airline to cut service

Continental’s announcement came a day after United Airlines said it was discontinuing Ted, its low-fare airline, cutting 1,100 more jobs on top of previously announced cuts and retiring a total of 100 aircraft. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have announced similar steps.

Curacao falls outside; American Airlines’ economy measure (Amigoe 5/5/2008)

WILLEMSTAD – The two daily flights from Miami to Curacao are not as yet included in American Airline’s economy measures.  AA will reduce the number of direct flights between New York (JFK) and Aruba drastically.  American Eagle will cancel her flights from San Juan to St. Maarten and Aruba, and Bonaire will be left with 3 weekly flights.

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Aruba’s Standard of Living is Going Down … Aruba Hit Harder than Many Countries Because Nothing is Produced There

Aruba is suffering the same economic slow down that is affecting many countries these days. Their standard of living is decreasing. However, in Aruba its worse due to the fact that nothing is actually produced in Aruba. Since Aruba is limited to the manner in how to deal with price shifting, Aruba may have to increase its hotel rates. If they make these increases, Aruba may not be able to compete with other islands in the region. Talk about a catch 22.

Mehran concluded that just like the rest of the world, our country is coping with ‘a fundamental shifting’ in the prices of oil, food, and metals.  He compares the current situation with the oil crisis in 1973.  He says that the price shifting is fundamental, because the prices will never go back to the old level.  This hits Aruba harder, because nothing is being produced here.  To maintain the same quality of life and pay for it, Aruba will have to increasing the rates of the hotel rooms; that’s the only way.  But this is at the same time a risk, because the island must also be able to continue competing in the region.  

Standard of living is going down (Amigoe: 6/1/2008)

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