The members of the Aruba Timeshare Association, ATSA, convened for a lunch-meeting at La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino with representatives of most of the island’s Vacation Ownership properties, in attendance.
The Food & Beverage team of La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino prepared a tasty and varied lunch menu, paired with the resort’s signature gracious service and hospitality.
ATSA’s President, Sulaika Kelly, Playa Linda Beach Resort, welcomed members just before officially opening the meeting.
In her remarks she covered the upcoming agenda also reporting on the recent EPI Hospitality Unit students’ introduction to the World of Vacation Ownership.
The interactive event, also taking place at La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino, involved a group of secondary vocational education (MBO) students, who enjoyed an expertly organized half-day immersive program focusing on The World of Vacation Ownership.
The program, Kelly explained, was aimed at creating awareness of the career and entrepreneurial opportunities within the vacation ownership industry in Aruba.
Vicky Arends, Director, Cas di Cultura, CDC, was a special guest at the meeting. She shared the institution’s history and its future plans that include a complete renovation.
Aruba’s Home of Culture, is currently fundraising towards its upcoming ambitious plans to modernize and update the facility that welcomes an average of 41.000 visitors a year, hosts an average of 130 events, with more than 280 lesson hours given to an average of 600 drama, music, and dance students. The facility also has a professional, one-of-a-kind theater, the only one in the Caribbean part of the Dutch kingdom.
According to Arends, the people living in the heart of town, the neighborhood of Mon Plaisir, at the time in 1949, understood they needed a dedicated venue for the arts to serve as home to the Aruba Music School, amateur theater, photography, film, and dance groups, they came together and built a cultural center.
The building was designed by a famous Dutch architect, and the first stone was laid in 1957. Cas di Cultura officially opened in 1958 and has been the home of the arts since.
In recent years there has been increasing talk about renovation, modernization, so that CDC may serve the community for the next 60 years. At least. Post renovations CDC will offer better backstage areas, exhibition spaces and galleries, a café/bar, and an overhauled auditorium.
While the auditorium is closed, temporarily, awaiting renovations, CDC continues to operate the exhibition hall, the INCBTR, the foyer, and play host to Scol di Musica Rufo Wever, Scol di Baile Diana Antoinette as well as other cultural activities.
(For more info visit casdicultura.aw)
Arends asked ATSA members for their financial support and help to meet the renovation budget and explained the importance of culture and its strong links with tourism. She suggested on a personal note to get a CDC tote bag for just Awg 25, and promote the purchase among ATSA’s employees, as an individual gesture.
The meeting then continued to covered Budget 2026, and the approval minutes from an ATSA Meeting on July 3, 2025.
In free word, many of the resorts reported major capital improvement projects going on and an abundance of product enhancements, including excellent improvement on de Palm Island which included new water elements, food & Beverage innovations, and landscaping.
In the committee presentations that followed, members expressed a great sense of anticipation at collaborating with the new Minister of Tourism on the TPEF’s budget. The Tourism Product Enhancement Fund, has identified a number of local projects worthy of investment once the minister appoints new board members and shares his multi-year vision, with them. On behalf of the Hospitality and Security Foundation, Pedro Vergas, Marriott Ocean Club reported the foundation is weighing options for increased visibility in more tourist areas.
In general, all timeshare reports reported very satisfactory levels of occupancy and a rosy outlook for the upcoming high season of 2026.
The public is invited on November 13th, Cas di Cultura, to attend a public event with a live auction. Works by excellent local artists, will be going under the gavel include paintings and art objects by Peter van Heuvel, Rene Oude Avenhuis, Marian Abath, Eliza Lejuez, Paul Wong, Yahaira Maduro, Anita Hugen, and many more.
Press release: Aruba Timeshare Association (ATSA)
