ORANJESTAD – With great pleasure, the Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) announces that the first edition of the Aruba Global Travel Conference was a resounding success. The conference, which took place on our island from September 18th to 21st, culminated on Thursday evening with a special celebration at Royal Aruba Aloe. The inaugural Aruba Global Travel Conference brought together a total of 59 participants from the United States, Colombia, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, to name a few. In addition to them, numerous other partners, including representatives of our hotels, were present. A total of 70 people attended this conference. For the first time, A.T.A. combined our island’s key markets, namely North America, Latin America, and Europe, into a single conference.
Throughout the entire week, participants and partners from the tourism industry enjoyed productive exchanges. The program began on Monday evening with an opening ceremony, followed by key presentations on Tuesday morning during the Global Travel Conference, during which A.T.A. shared their anticipated results for 2023 and the primary strategies for 2024.
Among other things, attention was paid to the “Aruba Effect” – the promotion and international communication strategy for Aruba. The presented concept was positively received by the guests. There was also a focus on “High Value, Low Impact,” encompassing the quality of life for residents, the quality of the visitor experience, the protection and preservation of our nature, and the economic contribution to the tourism sector, as well as internal and external forces such as safety, visitor growth, the workforce, and carrying capacity. Additionally, there was a panel discussion on niche markets, including gastronomy, nature, and weddings.
The program continued with a Tourist Marketplace, which targeted the Latin American market on Wednesday and the North American market on Thursday. During this interactive event, participants met with local tourism executives. The Tourist Marketplace included the participation of more than 35 local partners, including hotels, tour companies, and other tourism businesses. Each of these partners had space for 20 appointments per day with international executives, where they could explore business opportunities and establish lasting relationships.
In addition to the scheduled meetings, international guests could enjoy various experiences on our island. This ensured that they had a favorable impression of the island and were well-informed about the tourism product and future developments.
The response to the first edition of the Aruba Global Travel Conference has been extremely positive, both among local stakeholders and international participants, including several people visiting Aruba for the first time. A.T.A. is optimistic that this conference will serve as an important platform to help our island achieve its set goals, create new opportunities, and enrich our tourism markets, including diversification of our markets.
A.T.A. extends immense gratitude to the team that worked diligently on this event and to all local partners, including AHATA, who contributed to making this conference a grand and successful one.
