On Friday, Tour Operator Uni attended a meeting at Cocolishi with the staff of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Energy, and Telecommunications, at the initiative of ABC Tours. During the meeting, SETAR presented a GPS-based fleet management system that logs routes, speed, and entry into protected areas.
The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere. SETAR provided an explanation of the latest developments and trends in GPS technology.
Two days prior, on Wednesday, October 14, SETAR visited the main office of ABC Tours to install the first unit as part of a pilot project to evaluate the system in practice and provide recommendations for its improvement. Mr. Marvin Kelly, Founder and Managing Director of ABC Tours, welcomed the SETAR representatives. SETAR confirmed that ABC Tours is the first tour operator to install SETAR’s platform.
Mr. Gabriel de Mey, Operations Manager at ABC Tours, represented Tour Operator Uni. ABC Tours has been using GPS tracking since the technology became commercially available in Aruba. De Mey explained how the system works in practice and the additional proactive measures ABC Tours has always taken to ensure its employees follow existing rules.
Based on this experience, De Mey provided feedback and recommendations to SETAR on the most valuable information for operators. He emphasized three points: how the Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF) can utilize the data without exposing companies’ confidential commercial information; the retention period of the data, as a serious evaluation of nature usage requires multi-year historical data; and the system’s accuracy, to prevent false alerts when a vehicle travels near a restricted area.
Since the beginning of this process, ABC Tours has actively shared its experience and practical knowledge with members of Tour Operator Uni, aiming to assist, strengthen collaboration, and contribute to solutions that benefit the entire sector and our nature.
“GPS provides verifiable data: where a vehicle drove and at what speed. With that, you can protect nature and ensure everyone complies with the rules,” De Mey stated. “For this to work, it must be the same rule for all UTVs and 4x4s on dirt roads: licensed operators, rental companies, and private drivers.”
Tour Operator Uni believes that decisions regarding access to the northern part of Aruba should be based on measured data, not assumptions. A GPS log shows which vehicle uses which road, at what time, and at what speed. This gives the Government and ACF a factual foundation to set and enforce rules on existing roads, rather than closing them to everyone.
In its Protocol submitted to the Government on September 28, 2026, Tour Operator Uni proposed that every commercial tour vehicle must have a functioning GPS before operations under the protocol commence. The principle is that every user must understand and accept their responsibility, thereby contributing positively to the protection of our nature. Uni is willing to assist smaller operators with implementation.
Tour Operator Uni requests that the requirement be a clear, open technical standard applicable to any compliant system, with explicit rules regarding data ownership and access.
Tour Operator Uni views these steps as very positive advancements and once again expresses gratitude for the opportunity for our industry to contribute to a responsible nature-use model that can serve as an example for the Caribbean. Uni remains available to work with the Government and ACF on a monitoring system that works for everyone.
Tour Operators UNI
Together for responsible, safe, and sustainable tourism in Aruba.