Aruba.com
3/31/2006
Aruba announces another strong year for arrivals in 2005. According to the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA), 2005 proved to be a solid year, attracting over 4,000more sun-seekers (totaling an astonishing 732,514 jetsetters) from around the world. An amazing 532,352 U.S. travelers hit Aruba’s white-sand shores last year, representing over 1,000 (.2%) additional visitors compared to 2004, making up 72.7% of the island’s total market share. Overall, 2005 held steady with a .6% increase in worldwide numbers over 2004. With hundreds of thousands of seasoned travelers and sun and sand devotees making the island their escape in 2005, Aruba remains one of the world’s number one hot-spots with a repeat visitor rate of over 40%, the highest of any Caribbean destination.
Many of Aruba’s amazing hotels and resorts saw significant increases in visitor numbers over 2004. The island’s boutique hotels soared, as the Bucuti Beach Resort & Tara Beach Suites posted a 9.97% increase. The Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa reported 10.20% spike, while larger properties like the Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino, boasted a 7.18% in growth. Time shares also fared well with The Divi Dutch Village Resort reporting an excellent 14.67% upward trend.
“We are very proud that our island has fared well in 2005 in the wake of what was a challenging year for tourism,” said Managing Director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, Myrna Jansen. “From some of the highest fuel prices in U.S. history affecting airline fares, an extremely active hurricane season and limited inventory as over 600 guestrooms were out of commission for the greater part of the year, Aruba’s consistent numbers were a testament to the strength of the island’s tourism sector.”
Aruba is already going strong in 2006 forging ahead with major investments in the tourism product totaling over $274 million reinforcing the destination’s commitment to continually updating and improving the vacation experience. Expansions and renovations encompass virtually every sector of the travel industry, from the airport and cruise terminal to hotels, spas and restaurants. The island also continues to flourish with numerous to-do’s as first-timers and Aruba-devotees alike will enjoy a roster of unforgettable activities. Major music festivals return to the island this year including the Sixth Annual Aruba Soul Beach Music Festival (Memorial Day Weekend), which features some of the biggest names in the R&B music world and the Fifth Annual Aruba Music Festival (Columbus Day Weekend) with world-famous rock and roll headliners. Additionally, unique environmental programs like the 13th Annual Aruba Reef Care Program (July 1 - 2) allow locals and volunteers to lend a hand in preserving and maintaining the island’s amazing beaches and underwater marvels.
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Statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO):
Tourist (stop-over) Arrivals and Cruise Passenger Visits in 2005 | ||||||
| | Tourist Arrivals | Cruise Passenger Visits | ||||
Destination (Stop-Over) | Period | Tourist | % Change 2005/04 | Period | Cruise Passengers | % Change 2005/04 |
| | Jan-Oct | 621,641 | 2.2 | Jan-Nov | 470,765 | -5.6 |
Excerpt from 'Caribbean Tourism Performance in 2005'
The performances of the various sub-regions have also varied. Clearly the performances of Cuba (2.3 million tourists and a 13 percent increase) and the Dominican Republic (3.7 million tourists and a 7.2 percent increase) have made a considerable contribution to the regional increase although, in the Hispanic Caribbean, this would have been counter-balanced by the fall off in visitation to Cancun and Cozumel after the passage of hurricane Wilma.
In contrast, tourist arrivals to CARICOM countries has grown by a somewhat more modest 2.3 percent to 3.3 million in 2005, while cruise passenger visitation declined by 6.3 percent to around 7 million.
In comparison, the Dutch Caribbean countries (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius) grew by 1.9 percent, the US Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) by 3.2 percent and the Other Caribbean (including Cuba and the Dominican Republic) by 5.3 percent.
