Aruba must guide its tourism development with a clear vision that puts the well-being of the local community, the protection of nature, and the quality of life first. This is the message of Member of Parliament Jennifer Arends-Reyes, Chair of Parliament’s Tourism Committee, following her participation in the special gathering “How to Fix Tourism,” organized by AHATA.
The session featured international expert Doug Lansky and Minister of Tourism, Transport, and Labor Wendrick Cicilia. During the meeting, various challenges related to the future of tourism were discussed, including pressure on infrastructure, traffic, nature, public facilities, the labor market, and the quality of life of the local community.
According to Arends-Reyes, tourism is and will remain one of the main pillars of Aruba’s economy. However, the success of the industry cannot be measured solely by the number of visitors.
“We must move from the question ‘how many tourists can arrive?’ to ‘how can we create more value for Aruba and its people?’. The goal should not just be more tourism, but better and more sustainable tourism,” Arends-Reyes stated.
One of the central points of the presentation was the need to respect the real capacity of our island. Aruba has limited territory and resources, while its infrastructure must support both the local community and the tourism industry. Therefore, decisions regarding growth must be based on information, planning, and a long-term vision.
The MP advocates an approach in which growth in value is more important than growth in volume. This implies promoting tourism that stimulates longer stays, spending in the local economy, respect for nature, and appreciation for Aruba’s culture and identity. At the same time, more local entrepreneurs and workers must be able to benefit directly from tourism development.
“Tourism must translate into better job opportunities, a decent salary, more space for local entrepreneurs, and investment in our districts. If the economy grows, the citizen must also feel the progress in their quality of life,” Arends-Reyes emphasized.
To achieve this, according to the MP, it is necessary for the government, parliament, AHATA, the private sector, and the community to continue dialoguing about a national strategy. This strategy must include traffic management, nature protection, human resource development, housing availability, and a balance between hotels, short-term rentals, and the needs of our own people.
Arends-Reyes thanked AHATA for organizing the meeting and creating a space for a frank exchange about the future of the industry. She underlined that Aruba cannot let tourism grow without direction, but that the island must guide its development consciously, protect what makes it unique, and put the well-being of its people at the heart of every decision.
“Tourism belongs to Aruba, but Aruba is not just tourism. Our responsibility is to take care of both, for today’s generation and those to come,” Arends-Reyes concluded.
