Aruba itinerary maker generated 200 personalised travel plans in June, with 89% requesting bookable options

ORANJESTAD — Aruba Tourist Channel’s personal travel planner is developing into a powerful digital assistance tool for visitors preparing for a trip to Aruba. Powered by The Advisor AI and the Aruba Intelligence tourism knowledge base, the platform combines personalised itinerary planning with relevant recommendations drawn from more than 1,000 things to do, places to visit, services and visitor experiences across the island.

The latest usage report, reviewed after the platform’s June activity, shows that travellers are not only looking for general inspiration. They are actively planning where to stay, what to experience, how to travel around Aruba and which activities, restaurants and services they may want to book.

The most commercially significant result is that 89 percent of travellers requested bookable experiences and partner recommendations as part of their itinerary.

This means that nearly nine out of ten itinerary users want the platform to go beyond general travel advice. They want direct assistance with finding suitable restaurants, tours, transportation, wellness services, activities and other experiences that can become part of their vacation.

Aruba Intelligence provides more than 1,000 local possibilities

The itinerary maker is supported by Aruba Intelligence, a structured tourism knowledge base containing more than 1,000 things to do and visitor-related options in Aruba.

The database covers much more than attractions alone. It includes tourism areas, beaches, restaurants, tours, activities, accommodation, transportation, wellness, nightlife, shopping, cultural locations, family experiences and practical visitor services.

The Advisor AI uses this information to match the traveller’s preferences with relevant local possibilities.

Instead of simply generating a generic list of popular attractions, the system considers factors such as:

• Length of stay
• Accommodation area
• Traveller type
• Travel style
• Personal interests
• Transportation availability
• Interest in bookable experiences

The result is a personalised morning, afternoon and evening itinerary designed around the actual needs of the visitor.

The Advisor AI assists visitors before and during their Aruba vacation

The Advisor AI is designed to function as a digital Aruba travel assistant.

Visitors answer a series of practical questions, after which the system builds an itinerary that can include beaches, sightseeing, tours, restaurants, wellness, transportation guidance, shopping and optional upgrades.

The itinerary can subsequently be shared through WhatsApp or email, or saved as a professionally designed PDF. This allows travellers to use the plan while preparing at home and to continue consulting it during their stay in Aruba.

The platform is therefore not limited to destination inspiration. It assists visitors throughout the planning process and helps them organise the different parts of their trip in one structured travel plan.

Average planned stay reaches 4.7 days

The report shows an average planned stay of 4.7 days, indicating that most travellers use the itinerary maker to structure a substantial part of their Aruba vacation.

Five-day itineraries are the most frequently selected, representing 45 percent of all plans. Seven-day itineraries account for 21 percent.

Approximately 11 percent selected a two-day plan, while another 11 percent requested three days. Four-day itineraries represented 7 percent, one-day plans approximately 5 percent, and six-day plans around 3 percent.

From the visitor’s perspective, this indicates a preference for itineraries that provide sufficient structure without planning every moment of the vacation.

From the perspective of tourism businesses, a five- or seven-day stay creates several opportunities to assist the same traveller with dining, transportation, tours, wellness, activities and other services.

Palm Beach is the main accommodation area

The itinerary statistics show that 68 percent of travellers indicated Palm Beach as their accommodation area.

Eagle Beach followed with 14 percent, while Oranjestad represented 5 percent. Another 5 percent had not yet decided where they would stay.

San Nicolas accounted for 4 percent, while Noord and Manchebo Beach each represented approximately 3 percent.

Palm Beach therefore remains the dominant base for itinerary users. However, Aruba Intelligence can also encourage visitors to explore other districts by recommending relevant experiences outside the immediate hotel area.

A visitor staying in Palm Beach may, for example, receive recommendations for San Nicolas, Arikok National Park, Oranjestad, Savaneta or other areas when those locations match the traveller’s interests.

This creates an opportunity to distribute visitor activity more widely across Aruba rather than concentrating every experience in one tourism zone.

Couples and families dominate itinerary demand

Couples form the largest traveller category, representing 55 percent of itinerary selections.

Families account for 29 percent, followed by solo travellers at 9 percent. Senior travellers and groups of friends each represent approximately 4 percent.

The Advisor AI uses these distinctions to adapt the itinerary.

A couple may receive recommendations involving sunset experiences, fine dining, wellness and nightlife. A family may receive child-friendly beaches, wildlife attractions, practical transportation and restaurants suitable for different age groups.

Solo travellers may require flexible activities and clear transportation guidance, while senior travellers may prefer a more comfortable pace, accessible experiences and organised transfers.

The itinerary is therefore built around the traveller profile rather than around a standard tourism template.

Adventure, balance and relaxation are closely matched

The data shows that Aruba visitors do not all want the same type of vacation.

Adventure-focused itineraries represent 31 percent, while balanced itineraries account for 30 percent.

Relaxed travel styles represent 27 percent, followed by budget-friendly travel at 8 percent and luxury-focused itineraries at approximately 5 percent.

The close distribution between adventure, balanced and relaxed travel confirms that many visitors want variety.

They may want an island tour or ocean activity on one day, followed by a beach afternoon, spa treatment or relaxed dinner on another.

The Advisor AI can combine these preferences into one itinerary rather than forcing the visitor to choose between an active or restful vacation.

Beaches lead, but visitors want a complete Aruba experience

Beaches remain the leading interest, selected by 80 percent of travellers.

However, the statistics show that visitors are also searching for experiences beyond the coastline.

Tours were selected by 63 percent, while 60 percent expressed interest in food and culinary experiences.

Wellness was selected by 54 percent, and family activities by 40 percent.

Nightlife represented 28 percent, followed by nature at 17 percent, shopping at 15 percent and culture at 13 percent.

Because travellers may select multiple interests, these percentages overlap. The broader conclusion is nevertheless clear: beaches remain essential, but visitors want a complete Aruba experience involving food, activities, wellness, local discovery and entertainment.

Transportation information improves itinerary relevance

Transportation availability also influences the recommendations generated by the platform.

Approximately 79 percent of travellers indicated that they would have access to transportation, including a rental vehicle or another independent option.

Around 11 percent expected to depend mainly on taxis, while another 11 percent required transportation connected to tours or organised experiences.

This allows The Advisor AI to make more realistic recommendations.

Travellers with a rental car can receive self-drive routes covering several areas of the island. Visitors depending on taxis may receive geographically efficient suggestions, while travellers requiring organised transportation can be matched with operators that provide pickup or transfer services.

Transportation is therefore treated as an essential part of the travel plan rather than as an afterthought.

Recommendations appear at the moment they are relevant

One of the main strengths of the itinerary maker is that partner recommendations are integrated into the visitor’s schedule.

Businesses are not displayed in a separate advertising block. They appear when their service is relevant to a particular day, location or activity.

A restaurant may appear as the recommended dinner option. A tour operator may be included during a nature or adventure day. A wellness provider may be recommended when the traveller requests relaxation, and a transportation company may appear when a transfer is required.

A sample five-day family itinerary demonstrates this approach. It combines Eagle Beach, Arikok National Park, the Donkey Sanctuary, Palm Beach and the Butterfly Farm with dining, transportation, wellness and booking recommendations. The generated plan includes businesses and services such as Gaia House of Grill, Around Aruba Tours, Bucatini Aruba, Mandara Spa Aruba, Ling & Sons Food Market and The Birdie Restaurant at Tierra del Sol.

This creates a more natural recommendation environment because the business is presented as part of the visitor’s travel solution.

Partner categories across the complete visitor journey

The Aruba Tourist Channel and Aruba Intelligence ecosystem supports partner recommendations across the complete tourism journey.

Partner categories include:

• Hotels, resorts and alternative accommodation
• Restaurants, cafés and culinary concepts
• Private chefs and live-cooking services
• Tour operators and island experiences
• Diving, sailing and watersports companies
• Taxi, transfer and transportation services
• Car-rental companies
• Spas, wellness and beauty providers
• Family attractions and child-friendly activities
• Retailers, supermarkets and gift shops
• Cultural attractions and local experiences
• Entertainment, nightlife and event providers
• Real-estate and property-related services

Direct partner examples highlighted within the Aruba Tourist Channel ecosystem include JOIA Aruba by Iberostar and Bohemian Bar & Restaurant.

The wider recommendation and tourism-content ecosystem also includes businesses such as Bucatini Market & Cucina, Gaia House of Grill, The Birdie Restaurant at Tierra del Sol, Mandara Spa Aruba, Around Aruba Tours and Ling & Sons Food Market.

Not every partner is inserted into every itinerary. Recommendations are selected according to the traveller’s interests, accommodation area, transportation situation and requested travel style.

A more intelligent form of tourism promotion

Traditional tourism advertising places a business in front of a broad audience. The Advisor AI operates at a different moment in the visitor journey: the moment when the traveller is actively making decisions.

A couple planning a wellness-oriented vacation may receive one set of recommendations. A family seeking beaches and child-friendly activities may receive another. A traveller interested in nightlife and food may receive a completely different itinerary.

This makes the recommendation more relevant for the visitor and potentially more valuable for the participating business.

The reported 89 percent booking interest is particularly important because it demonstrates that most itinerary users want actionable suggestions, not only information.

Supporting visitors while strengthening Aruba’s tourism economy

The itinerary maker represents an important step in the development of Aruba Tourist Channel from a tourism media platform into a personalised travel-planning and recommendation ecosystem.

For visitors, The Advisor AI reduces the time and uncertainty involved in organising an Aruba vacation.

For tourism partners, Aruba Intelligence creates visibility at a high-intent moment, when visitors are choosing where to go, what to experience and which services to reserve.

For Aruba, the platform provides an opportunity to connect travellers with more than 1,000 local possibilities while guiding them toward experiences that match their individual interests.

The success reflected in the latest report therefore extends beyond the performance of a digital itinerary tool. It demonstrates how Aruba Intelligence and The Advisor AI can assist visitors before and during their trip while creating a more direct and intelligent connection between tourism demand and Aruba’s local businesses.