With signed responsible management protocol…
After representatives of Tour Operators Uni and the Government of Aruba signed the so-called ‘Responsible Management Protocol in Nature’ last Wednesday, the sector faces 5 crucial weeks to reach practical and balanced solutions. For the first time in 20 years, tour operators are being heard, and with the established protocol, space has opened up for everyone to be part of this conversation.
Meanwhile, with the permission of Prime Minister Mike Eman, tour operators will be able to start using the California Lighthouse – Alto Vista route again while all concerned parties continue dialogue at the table. “Our current request to the Government is to delineate this route as soon as possible, leaving a 6-meter-wide road to prevent users from going off-track and driving anywhere,” representatives of Tour Operators Uni indicated during the signing of the protocol.
This agreement focuses on aspects of responsible management in nature, willingness to continue dialogue, joint exploration of solutions, topics such as ‘geofencing’, guide certification, control, as well as supervision and sanctioning measures, among several other points. For the first time in history, local tour operators have united in this manner, demonstrating their willingness to work together and contribute positively to the protocol and dialogue.
In the coming days, Tour Operators Uni will continue to collaborate jointly with the Government and also urges changes, or rather the implementation of Articles 13 and 14 in the ROPV law, to anchor these existing roads that we have known and used since the 1980s into the law.
“We remain pending the date for the meeting in Parliament, where the Government will state its position and thus help us guarantee peace of mind for our employees as well as maintain stability in the sector while we continue to work together in this process,” the representatives of Tour Operators Uni expressed.
The court case of Aruba Birdlife Conservation against the Government of Aruba and Aruba Conservation Foundation (Parke Arikok) has been postponed to October 15; however, Tour Operators Uni remains positive that during the dialogue phase, a mutual understanding can be reached regarding the protection and care of nature, respecting our local community, the tourism sector, and all those who contribute to it.
