AHATA has noted that the Prime Minister has publicly stated several times that AHATA or the “hotels” do not want to engage in dialogue with the government. We wish to clarify the amount of conversation and communication that has taken place between the association and the Ministry of General Affairs since the new government took office.
Here is a chronological list:
During the first week of June 2025, all hotel managers met individually with the Prime Minister and AHATA to hear his intentions.
Afterwards, the Prime Minister invited the managers together for a dialogue (with little notice), informing them that the main topic would be the desire for a pause in hotel room development.
AHATA, in three consecutive meetings with the Prime Minister, explained that we align with the goal, but hotel managers do not make decisions regarding room development. We advised the government to meet with the investors who received legal permits from the government to build rooms. In addition, AHATA emphasized that condominium development must also be included in efforts to pause development.
Regarding other dialogue topics, AHATA stated that real and sincere dialogue is based on the participation of different community stakeholders in decisions regarding: the topic, the participant list, the meeting date, and the preparation period. AHATA aligns with the Prime Minister on the goals for a better Aruba but seeks a democratic dialogue process and wishes to avoid a unilateral process.
In August 2025, AHATA sent a proposal for a national dialogue process and received confirmation that the Ministry agreed with the recommended process.
Nevertheless, another invitation was received for a dialogue organized unilaterally by the Ministry, and AHATA again sent a letter in October 2025 reiterating the suggestion for a productive and democratic process.
To demonstrate willingness for productive dialogue, the AHATA Board invited the Prime Minister to its December 2025 meeting. During that meeting, the Prime Minister confirmed there was agreement to jointly plan the process and that this process would begin.
Meanwhile, AHATA and other associations participated in a separate dialogue process on a specific topic (the general pension law) in August 2025. Last week, the same group that participated in that dialogue received a next-day invitation for a “Social Dialogue” with five documents to read and five topics on the agenda. Together with several other associations, we indicated that we requested time to read the documents before entering a meeting. Additionally, we jointly requested participation in determining the agenda topics if a “social dialogue” is to be organized.
AHATA has consistently maintained its position of being willing and honored to engage in dialogue and is convinced that our request for a democratic and productive process is reasonable. For dialogue to be successful, there must be an environment of trust and mutual respect.
On the separate topic of palapas, we have long requested meetings and asked about the progress toward a new Beach Policy. The response we have received for a long time is that the public sector is working on it and will later meet with stakeholders.
We respect the process and recognize that beaches are public. AHATA requested a meeting with the responsible minister as an introduction and to discuss several issues, including disputes over palapas taking place among visitors. The intention is to help find solutions that maintain the rights of all locals to public beaches while also avoiding conflicts between cruise visitors, vacation rental guests, and hotel guests over shade. Our shared goal must be to prevent people from having to fight for protection from the strong sun.
With all these experiences, we do not understand the accusation of avoiding dialogue. We are simply asking to speak with the appropriate representatives and to follow the proper process. It is very unfortunate when politicians and government officials choose to antagonize the community against the hotel sector instead of seeking solutions to achieve controlled tourism and peace on our island.
We must add that since the beginning of the current government, we have been part of several productive meetings with different Ministries, and we appreciate the opportunity each Minister has offered to discuss and reach mutual understanding to ensure the general well-being of our country. We remain willing to participate in meetings and dialogue based on a reasonable and respectful process, without antagonism.