A Modern Aruban Alternative to Tourism

As much as I love Aruba and my life there, it has pained me to see the impacts that the pandemic has had on the island. With nearly all commerce in Aruba dependent on tourism, closing the borders has exposed unimaginable suffering and laid economic waste to the island I hold so dear.

The Need for Change

Arubans and those who love the island have long known that tourism was the center of the economy. Numerous attempts have been made over the years to diversify. Oil refining, aloe and now oil storage have been the primary focus for these efforts for generations. Even when the refinery was working fully, the writing was on the wall. Aruba needs economic change and it needs it soon.

Thus, my proposal. Herein, I have included a short alternative approach for the Government of Aruba to consider, as well as, for Arubans to hopefully embrace. To make this plan a reality, is to change many of the legal, regulatory and likely economic policies of the country. However, in the end, I believe, a stronger, more robust and ultimately richer Aruba will emerge. We can still have and market our One Happy Island, but we can bolster the day to day life of Arubans in new ways.

Our Untapped Resource: Arubans, Themselves

Arubans are a fascinating and resourceful people. Most speak multiple languages…