Aruba pivots from volume to value tourism as growth, as growth nears its limits

ARUBA--The Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) announced a strategic shift away from pursuing higher visitor numbers, signaling a course correction that prioritizes higher-spend tourism with reduced pressure on the island’s environment, culture, and communities. The organization said the objective moving forward is not “more visitors,” but “better visitors,” as Aruba seeks to balance tourism’s economic benefits with residents’ quality of life.

Tourism remains Aruba’s primary economic pillar, and A.T.A., established as a Sui Generis organization on January 1, 2011, operates as the island’s destination marketing and management organization, coordinating destination marketing, development, and partnerships locally and abroad.

A.T.A. said Aruba’s tourism sector posted strong gains since the organization’s establishment, including a 94% increase in tourism revenues, 43% growth in visitor arrivals, and 36% growth in cruise tourism, alongside improved hotel performance indicators such as RevPAR. However, the Authority stressed that further growth has practical limits and that Aruba must now manage tourism more deliberately to protect livability and long-term sustainability.

A.T.A. CEO Ronella Croes said the shift reflects the need for stronger regulation and a better balance between visitor satisfaction and the daily reality of residents. “Our focus today is to improve what is missing, regulation, correction and adaptation,” Croes said, adding that the aim is “better balance” for both tourists and the people of Aruba.

The new direction is anchored in A.T.A.’s Multi-Annual Corporate Strategy 2025–2035 (MACS), with Phase I focused on increasing tourism revenue through quality rather than quantity, and emphasizing cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and community well-being.

As part of this approach, A.T.A. said it is using tools such as a Tourism Impact Model to measure not only economic returns, but also the real costs of growth, helping policymakers and stakeholders weigh tourism decisions against Aruba’s carrying capacity and quality-of-life considerations.

A.T.A. said its work is supported by teams based in Aruba and in international offices in the Netherlands, Colombia, and the United States, aligning outreach across key markets while maintaining a people-centered focus at home.

Photo caption: Ronella Croes, CEO Aruba Tourism Authority