In the first quarter of 2024, promising figures were recorded for tourism as the primary and critically important entry pillar for the economy of Aruba. A.T.A. places great emphasis on the “High Value-Low Impact” model, which stands for a balance between four pillars: ‘Quality of Life for Residents’, ‘Quality of Visitor Experience’, Protection and Preservation of Nature & Environment, and Economic Contribution of the Tourism Sector.
The goal is to continue efforts in line with the mentioned balance and to achieve an increase in revenue proportionally higher than the volume our destination receives. Capacity constraints are also receiving attention from the A.T.A. in various ways.
VOLUME (“STAYOVER”) INCREASES BY 25.8% IN MARCH 2024 COMPARED TO MARCH 2023
The demand for Aruba continues to be extremely strong and surpasses expectations. As demand increases, airlines have continued to expand capacity to Aruba, allowing us to capture the high demand. As of March 2024, Aruba received a total of 141,380 “stayover” visitors, representing a growth of 25.8% compared to March 2023, where 112,417 “stayover” visitors were received.
REVENUE (“TOURISM CREDITS”)
Revenue is measured, that is, the ‘quality’ of visitors, in various ways. Among other things, visitors are willing to pay for a night’s stay through Tourism Credits registered with the Central Bank of Aruba. In Q3 2023, Tourism Credits increased by 3% compared to the same period in 2022. In the period from Q1 to Q3 2023, Tourism Credits increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2022. Soon A.T.A. will receive defined statistics to report Tourism Credits for Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022. In 2024, comparisons of ‘Tourism Credit’ figures with 2023 will continue.
AVERAGE SPENDING PER VISITOR IN 2023
The average spending per Visa Credit cardholder reached a total of $690 in 2023. Looking at Visa’s overall revenue, there is a growth of 13.8% compared to 2022.
MARKETS AND ACCOMMODATION CATEGORIES
In March 2024, 83.9% of the total “stayover” visitors to Aruba came from North America, 4.1% from Europe, 9.9% from Latin America, and 2% from other parts of the world.
Looking at accommodation categories, in March 2024, 27.7% of visitors stayed in European Plan hotels, 14.5% stayed in All-Inclusive hotels, 23.7% stayed in Timeshares, and 34.1% stayed in other types of accommodations, also known as short-term vacation rentals (STVR).
SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTALS
A.T.A. has access to a platform where the number of houses, apartments, and villas used as vacation rentals, as well as the average price per night, occupancy, and an estimation of the revenue they generate, can be observed. In 2023, according to a study, A.T.A. managed to update the inventory of existing condominiums and those currently in progress, and an updated list of non-hotel accommodations available to tourists staying in Aruba for a short period.
Comparing March 2024 to March 2023, the average occupancy of these accommodations increased by 13.6 percentage points, from an average of 56.6% in March 2023 to an average of 70.1% in March 2024.
In terms of revenue, comparing March 2023 to March 2024, the category generated a revenue growth of 20.7%.
As of March 2024 (Q1), Aruba received a total of 381,877 “stayover” visitors, representing a growth of 22.4% compared to March 2023, where 311,984 “stayover” visitors were received. When it comes to market leadership, as of March 2024 (Q1), 82.3% of visitors are from North America, 4.7% are from Europe, 10.8% are from Latin America, and 2.2% are from other parts of the world.
ABOUT ARUBA TOURISM AUTHORITY (A.T.A.)
Since January 1, 2011, the Aruba Tourism Authority has operated as a ‘Sui Generis’ entity. An independent organization in the public sphere. The Aruba Tourism Authority functions as a ‘Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO)’ and is responsible for uniting tourist interests between local and international stakeholders. A.T.A. places great emphasis on the “High Value-Low Impact” model, which aims to strike a balance between increasing the economic value of visitors, positioning Aruba as a desirable and sustainable country, and positioning Aruba as a leader in development as a destination. To continue efforts in line with the mentioned balance and achieve increased revenue through the quality of tourism rather than the volume our destination receives. Capacity constraints continue to receive attention from A.T.A.
To receive A.T.A.’s Statistical Monthly Report every month, you can contact Melanie Kelly at [email protected] or visit www.ata.aw.
