No solid data on damage yet
According to Minister of Tourism effects of Holloway case on Aruba have to be measured
DIARIO Aruba
11/23/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN) – DIARIO interviewed Minister of Tourism and Public Transport Edison Briesen, related to the boycott called against Aruba by Governor of Alabama and Mrs. Beth Twitty, and asked him if our country is feeling its effects. Minister Briesen’s reply was that to deny this is a reality would be dishonest to us.

“Because we have a Task Force that was set up from the beginning of this matter, they started with the case of the disappearance of this young lady. We set up a group on this side for us to evaluate the damage of this, and little by little we have seen that this came upon us, and we have also seen that Mrs. Twitty asked the Governor of Alabama Mr. Bob Riley to go ahead with a boycott. We also mobilized our colleagues in Holland so that they also work on our behalf on a political and diplomatic level”, the mandatory indicated.

Given that there was another governor who also wanted a boycott and postponed this, according to the mandatory the Task Force is doing a good job but they remain with the lack of confidence in the team which has investigated from the beginning the disappearance of Natalee, and this is a difficult position that the government and the people of Aruba cannot change their minds about.

“Even in the last visit of the lady, she sent a letter where she requested that if we could modify or change the group who is conducting the investigation and try to bring forth another investigative group. We told her that the Office of the Attorney General is autonomous and they put in place the team who will investigate, because she asked for people who she believes can assist in this case, according to the mandatory.

Also, the dignitary said that he can see that also in Parliament the petition was made by a member of State, if the government can support the petition of Mrs. Twitty, given that the many people think that here in Aruba there were perhaps things that were not taken care of, like many other people outside of the Prosecutorial Corps believe how the investigation had to take place.

The government still hasn’t done a survey of room occupancy and flights to Aruba, and this is research that they are going to do. But a little time ago, the government had its annual meeting with the top agencies that sell Aruba in America and in what deals with the traditional market that produces tourists to Aruba, they said that they have not felt any effect and that perhaps Aruba is little promotion or none at all in other states that don’t know Aruba in the same way a big group who comes to Aruba annually do and that perhaps with them the matter has had an effect.

The dignitary indicated that the government is taking care of this matter with all diligence, and is not waiting for results to come to Aruba with its hands crossed, to correct the damage that this situation could cause, but has to be prevented for this matter not to escalate.

How big the effect will be, the government doesn’t know still and according the Minister, AHATA will do a survey of its members to see if this case truly will have consequences for Aruba, in what pertains of the influx of tourism from December until the end of high season.

[translated by Getagrip]