Business

Tiara Air just opened a new service center at Sun Plaza, which is easily accessible and offers ample parking space.

Tiara Air operates multiple daily flights to and from Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire and Punto Fijo, Venezuela, flying very spacious commuter aircrafts, Short 360, with 36 seats.

The airline’s tag line “On Time, Convenient and Sympatico,” reflects its operational philosophy and its dedication to customer service and customer satisfaction.

Booking flights and soliciting information about Tiara Air is now very easy at Tiara Air’s Wayaca Service Center, at Tiara Air’s Airport Ticket Office and at any of Aruba travel agencies. On-line bookings are also available on www.tiara-air.com

The new Tiara Air Sun Plaza Service Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone : +297 583 4307; Fax number: +297 583 5994.

Story submitted by Rona Coster

Eco Destination Management celebrated two decades on the island just recently, with founder Wichita Villacres, Owner and C.E.O., orchestrating a day of festivities for her staff members.

Wichita started her career in the worldwide shipping industry and moved to Aruba in 1982. She saw the need for a destination management company here and with that in mind, she taught herself the business, and by 1987, founded Eco Destination Management Services of Aruba.

In 1992, she was named ‘Woman of the Year,’ for her contributions to making the island a true meeting and incentive destination, a market which had never been fully realized before her efforts.

In her quest to explore the possibilities for Aruba, she was recognized in 1990 for her creativity by the Society of Incentive Travel Executives, SITE, with two Crystal Awards, one for organizing legendary Arubadam, a street carnival party, in the heart of Oranjestad and for flawless handling of a 5-night incentive program, for an oversize group.

In addition to her involvement with her business and her family, Wichita is always deeply committed to the community, working in a number of organizations on the betterment of the industry and the island.

She was a board member of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, AHATA; a director of the Society of Incentive Travel Executives, SITE, Caribbean Chapter; President and founder of the Aruba Tourism Scholarship and Awards Foundation; member of Meeting Professionals International, MPI, and member of International Special Event Society, ISES, as well as member of Association of Destination Management Executives, and the SKAL Club, which she recently rejoined, in Miami.

In 2002, Wichita purchased the South East Florida Destination Management Franchise from PRA Destination Management, and by 2006 not only surpassed PRA’s yearly goals but also grew exponentially and became well established within the Florida community.

Hard working, driven and fun, Wichita is an inspiration to those who meet and work with her, she always strives to become the best at whatever she sets out to do.

True to her credo “there is no mountain too high to climb,” it is always entertaining to watch her operate!

Pictured here Wichita and Aruba’s Minister of Tourism Eng. Edison Briezen at a recent Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino penthouse gala affair in which ECO Destination Management Services of Aruba celebrated 20 years and recognized the minister for his from-the-get-go support and endorsement.

Story submitted by Rona Coster

Palm Beach – A new Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association board was elected during the recent AHATA General Assembly, held at the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino.

The new officers of the board were elected from a slate of candidates presented by a nominating committee headed by General Manager Paul Gielen, Renaissance Aruba Resort, and independent consultant Jaap Beaujon.

The election process was overseen by Dr. Ryan Peterson of the Universidad di Aruba.

The new board of the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association consists of the following eight members: Rick Zeolla, General Manager, Marriott Aruba Resort; Eduardo De Veer, Developer, Meta Corp; Scott Allen, General Manager, Hyatt Regency; Guillermo Valencia, General Manager Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort; Gary Jutz, General Manager, Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino; Matt Balcik, General Manager, Westin Aruba Resort; Peter Steinmetz, Director, Aruba Airport Authority; David Smith, VP Public Relations, Valero Aruba Refinery.

Two board candidates, Joe Najjar, General Manager, La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club and Andres Pichardo, Senior VP Sales and Marketing, Occidental Grand Aruba, remained available in case of seat vacancy on the board and were invited to attend all meetings effective immediately.

Rob Smith, President and CEO of the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association reports the new board will conduct its first meeting this week, with hotelier Ewald Biemans, Bucuti Beach Resort & Tara Suites, as Chairman of the Board.

Over 200 Managers, DSMs & Liberty Travel Execs in Aruba December 3-6, 2007

Aruba Beats Bevy of Destinations to Host Travel Giant’s Most Prestigious Internal
Event Boasting Informational Conferences, Site Inspections, Parties & More!

On December 3, 2007, Aruba will welcome the prestigious annual Liberty Travel Managers Conference. This significant event brings together over 200 Liberty Travel store managers, district store managers (DSMs) and senior company executives for three days of informational conferences, site inspections, hotel and resort presentations, cocktail parties, gala dinners and more. It is fitting that this will be the first time Aruba hosts the conference, having beat a number of other destinations in contention, as the island is enjoying an impressive 30% growth in Liberty Travel business. With a string of significant hotel and resort developments and renovations, new and additional airlift, strong visitor arrival numbers and over $350 million in investments in the tourism industry, Aruba is proud to welcome these important decision-makers to discover “what’s new” on the island.

As the largest seller of vacations to the island, Aruba is thrilled to have the opportunity to show Liberty Travel managers how it has grown as a top Caribbean vacation destination for couples, families and travelers of all types. During the three-day event, travel professionals on hand will get to experience Aruba beyond the conference room, as they enjoy dinners, beach and pool parties, jeep safaris through the Aruban countryside, golfing on oceanfront greens and much more.

The Liberty Travel Managers Conference will take place at the Westin Aruba Resort, with additional evening activities provided by the Occidental Grand Aruba, the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino, the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino, and transportation and excursions handled by De Palm Tours. The Aruba Tourism Authority and the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association will co-sponsor a gala dinner on Renaissance Island, part of the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, as the culmination of the conference.

“Aruba is pleased to welcome the Liberty Managers Conference to the island for the first time,” said Edison Briesen, Minister of Tourism and Transportation. “We are honored to have been chosen as the host for this event and greatly value Liberty Travel’s expertise in the industry as they have long been travel pioneers. We are confident that hosting the Managers Conference will reinforce what Liberty Travel has known for over three decades: that Aruba offers a travel experience unlike any other Caribbean destination, one that keeps travelers coming back year after year.”

Myrna Jansen, Managing Director of the Aruba Tourism Authority, added, “Aruba was one of the first international destinations offered by Liberty Travel in the 1970s. Now, with remarkable island-wide renovations and substantial investments in tourism it is the ideal time to welcome our colleagues at Liberty Travel. This is an opportunity to showcase the destination to Liberty Travel’s true decision makers, the store managers, who control the selling direction of their business.”

“Liberty Travel has a longer association with Aruba than any other U.S. travel company, the island is one of our best selling Caribbean destinations and a longtime favorite with our customers,” said Cathy Pelaez, Chief Operating Officer for Liberty Travel. “It made perfect sense to have this year’s Managers Conference on the island as it gives our top level sales force the opportunity to experience the destination and the many significant upgrades to its tourism product and see first-hand what Aruba can offer our clients.”

After its second consecutive nomination in the under 5 million passengers category AAA N.V. Runner-up, and Highly Commended for its marketing approach towards airlines

Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) received confirmation on the 24th of September, that after earlier receiving its second consecutive nomination by OAG, Official Airline Guide, it was now awarded the price for Runner-up for the Global Airport Marketing Award 2007 in the category of up to 5 million passengers per year. The gala awards ceremony, where the awards were handed out, took place during the Annual World Route Development Forum in Stockholm, Sweden. Representatives ofÊ AAA who attended this forum and accepted the award were Mrs. Peggy Croes, Head Airline Marketing and Mrs. Barbara Brown, Head Commerce.

OAG awards airports in 4 categories, depending on the amount of passengers that the airport receives per year. Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix didnÕt only earn the Runner-up status for the Global Airport Marketing Award, but was alsoÊ Highly Commended. With that it ended second in a category totaling some 950 airports worldwide.Ê

This result is outstanding and important for AAA for two reasons: First of all, airlines themselves nominate the airports who made a real difference to their own network planning activity over the last 12 months. And secondly, AAA was awarded Highly Commended in the toughest category, where most airports are competing. The other 4 airports that were nominated in this category were: London City Airport (awarded the first place), Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Nantes (France) and Shannon (Ireland).

Peter Steinmetz, Managing Director AAA, expressed profound words of satisfaction with this achievement: ÒThis appreciation perfectly mirrors AAAÕs philosophy that airports and airlines work together as partners in developing traffic and the award reflects directlyÊ the positive improvements and changes at the company and solidifies Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix as a leading airport in the world of aviation.ÓÊ Steinmetz reiterated that ÒWe ensure that our marketing objectives are met through the delivery of service benefiting Aruba.Ó

On the left on the picture you can see Mrs. Peggy Croes as she received the Runner-up award Monday night in Sweden.

Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) has received confirmation of its second consecutive nomination by OAG, Official Airline Guide, for the Global Airport Marketing Award 2007 in the category of fewer than 5 million passengers per year. The awards ceremony will be held during the 13th Annual World Route Development Forum in Stockholm, Sweden on September 24, 2007. AAA has attended the Forum 9 out of the 13 held and has enjoyed the support of Aruba Tourism Authority and Schiphol International B.V.

What makes the Global Airport Marketing Award nomination for AAA important are two things. First, airlines get to nominate the airports who made a real difference to their own network planning activity over the last 12 months. And secondly, AAA has been nominated for the second consecutive year in the toughest category as there are approximately 950 airports competing in this category and only 5 get nominated. OAG Global Airport Marketing Awards continue to be held in extreme high regard by airports worldwide.

Peter Steinmetz, Managing Director AAA, revealed that this nomination directly reflects on the positive improvements and changes at the airport and solidifies Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix as a leader in the world of Aviation in the Caribbean region.

The renewed airport product is almost completed giving the airport a relaxed Caribbean look and feel, whilst providing quality service to our air service partners, passengers and employees,Ó Steinmetz said reiterating that, ÒWe ensure that our marketing objectives are met through the delivery of service benefiting Aruba.Ó

The Board of Directors of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association has accepted the resignation of Jorge Pesquera, President and CEO effective November 1, 2007. Chairman of the Board Ewald Biemans said: “We are very sorry to see Jorge leave Aruba as he approaches his fourth year of dedicated service, but realize that he has a great opportunity in Florida that would be very hard to pass up.” Pesquera has accepted the position of President and CEO of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau overseeing all tourism marketing for Florida’s largest county with 16,000 hotel rooms, a new convention center and some of the most upscale resorts in the country.

“I am leaving with very mixed feelings” said Pesquera, “Aruba is a great destination and I have been honored by the opportunity given to me by the board and the membership. It has been a great ride and a learning experience, but opportunities such as Palm Beach only come around once in a lifetime. I take comfort in the conviction that AHATA and our group marketing division of Meet Aruba are much more solid organizations today than they were four years ago. We have assembled a terrific team of professionals who truly care about our association and about Aruba and parting with them has made this decision so much more difficult. I am also thrilled to pass the baton to a highly seasoned tourism executive and first class guy.”

Ewald Biemans was pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Smith, currently GM of the Westin Aruba Resort to the CEO position effective October 1: “we are fortunate that Rob was willing and available to take on this most critical position and ensure continuity in the expanding role AHATA has undertaken as it pertains to destination marketing, advocacy and member support services. He has repeatedly shown his leadership qualities in programs and initiatives such as the Hospitality and Security Foundation and, most recently, the Marketing Committee. He has an intimate understanding of Aruba’s key markets and channels of distribution and has acquired extensive experience in the meetings and conventions arena. I am sure this will be a smooth and productive transition”.

Rob Smith is currently employed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts as General Manager of the Westin Aruba. He has been serving this resort since April 1998, and held the role of Vice President of the previous ownership group, Aruba Hotel Enterprises, and General Manager of the then Wyndham prior to the sale of the hotel. During his ten years in Aruba he has served the association in multiple capacities including:
- Board member of The Caribbean Hotel Association (2000 to present)
- Chairman of the AHATA Nominations Committee (2001 to present)
- Chairman of the CEO Search Committee (2003)
- Member of the Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force
- Chairman of the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation (02 to 06)
- Treasurer of the AH & SF (2006 to present)
- AHATA Board of Director (2006 to present)
- Chairman of the Marketing Committee (2007)

Rob was recognized as the Hotelier of the Year for AHATA in 2005 and was nominated for the same award on a regional basis with the Caribbean Hotel Association. He has served at a General Manager level for the past 14 years, is married and has two daughters and one son. Smith said: “I am thrilled to take on this key position in an association that I truly believe has been critical to Aruba’s success. The fine team at the former Wyndham – now Westin – has been my family for an entire decade and I will miss their camaraderie most of all. However, I am confident that at AHATA we will be able to create or influence destination wide initiatives aimed at improving business levels across the board. Aruba is my home and my family has deep roots in this island. In many respects I have been unconsciously preparing for this position for a long time and I am looking forward to carrying on the fine tradition that has been established with Rory, Horace and Jorge most recently.”

Fitch Ratings-New York–August 30, 2007: Fitch Ratings affirms Aruba’s ratings as follows:

–Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings at ‘BBB’;
–Short-term Issuer Default Rating at ‘F3’;
–Country Ceiling at ‘A-’.

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

Aruba’s ratings are supported by its relatively high per capita income of over USD20,000, which is well above the ‘BBB’ median of USD5,350, its market-friendly institutional environment, based on a well-functioning legal system, rule of law and legally protected rights, and its continued political and social stability. Aruba’s external solvency ratios such as net external debt and net public sector external debt (as a percentage of current external receipts) are also consistent with the ‘BBB’ median. Additionally, the rating incorporates the fact that Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (‘AAA’). Although Aruba gained status aparte in 1986, its strong links with the Dutch government and the implicit support for the island are unique. Aruba’s rating weaknesses comprise structural weaknesses in its public finances including a high level of budgetary rigidity and continued reliance on arrears to suppliers and the broader public sector as a source of financing, its relatively high public debt burden (47% of GDP) and its relatively low international liquidity in the context of its narrow economy.

“The Aruban government’s fiscal effort over the last two years is encouraging, and the prospects for modest consolidation appear reasonable in light of the revenue-enhancing tax reform implemented in 2007. Yet, restructuring of public spending and continued expenditure restraint are essential for achieving the targeted balanced budget in 2009,” said Shelly Shetty, Senior Director in Fitch’s Sovereign Group. Fiscal deficits have declined to 1.6% of GDP (on an accrual basis) in 2006 from 6% in 2004 and Fitch expects these to hover around 1% of GDP with public debt also declining gradually in the 2007-09 period. However, fiscal prospects could improve further if the government obtains additional tax revenues from Valero (the U.S. oil refinery) by winning its tax arbitration case against the company. Similarly, Aruba could receive significant transfers over the next year from the Dutch government related to the settling of the dispute between the two countries regarding certain hotel properties. If the additional funds are utilized for fiscal consolidation and repaying debt, it could facilitate a faster convergence of public debt to the ‘BBB’ median of 34% of GDP, mitigating one of Fitch’s concerns.

Aruba’s narrow economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and the island’s growth performance is lagging that of most rating peers, highlighting the need for the economy to diversify further. The tourism industry was hit last year by lower tourist arrivals and lower occupancy rates, with tourism receipts down by 2%. As a result, GDP growth is estimated to have grown by just 1.5% in 2006, significantly below the ‘BBB’ median of 4.9%. While the near-term outlook for tourism appears more promising, the envisioned expansion in hotel capacity in the coming years is likely to impose a greater strain on the island’s infrastructure and possibly its labor markets.

Finally, while the central bank has managed the economy well, the deterioration of the non-oil current account balance is a source of concern. Moreover, international reserves coverage remains modest in the context of Aruba’s fixed exchange rate regime. However, Fitch notes that partially offsetting these concerns is that fact that Aruba has not experienced any serious currency pressure since gaining status aparte in 1986, it has no history of capital flight and there is insignificant participation of foreigners in its local markets, which limits the possibility of large outflows in case of an external shock.

Contact: Shelly Shetty +1-212-908-0324 or Theresa Paiz Fredel +1-212-908-1534, New York.

Fitch’s rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency’s public site, ‘www.fitchratings.com’. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.

In an article that appeared in the June issue of one of the leading agro-magazines in the world, Anuario Exame, the editor, ranks top five-hundred agro companies in Brazil.

Aruba-based Global Foods Holding was ranked as one of the top five foreign investors in Brazil with its 2 billion Brazil Reais (USD 1 billion) investment in the sugar and ethanol sector. The ranking of the top five is clearly listed in the article, lauding the vision and the determination of the investors funding Brazilian clean-energy projects.

Global Foods Holding who partnered with a well-established Brazilian manufacturer operates four ethanol mills, under the name Santa Elisa.

Aruban businessman Rene Kan (pictured here), of Global Foods Holding, is one of the forces behind the investment. In his efforts to build an ethanol refinery in Aruba, he also got involved in growing his own sugarcane and securing the steady supply of raw materials to the upcoming Aruba facility.

Kan is making a mark in the fast growing biofuel field, seeing the potential in Brazil's sugar cane fields. In that respect Brazil is a pioneer, since the 70s, and the country is currently a top ethanol exporter, second only to the US as a producer.

As a matter of fact, nearly all cars in Brazil run on ethanol or an ethanol-gasoline mix, and the country's sugarcane-based fuel is 30% cheaper to make than the US corn-based variety.

Aruba? It’s our “Happy Place”

Over the past four years, many people have asked us why we decided on the Aruba Networks moniker. The simple answer? It’s our happy place.

If you know our founder, Keerti Melkote, you know that he’s one of the most even-tempered people around. No small feat in the high-stress, fast-moving world of technology. Even when Keerti is angry, his temperament never really changes…he’s always mellow and in control. It was always somewhat of an enigma for most of us, at least for those of us who have a difficult time masking our emotions (and that’s pretty much all of us except our CFO Steffan Tomlinson, but that’s a completely different story). How the heck does Keerti always keep his cool? How does he keep so stable when the rest of us are fighting a pointed rise in blood pressure? Aruba.

Throughout his career, Keerti has faced some pretty heady challenges. Challenges that would make the best of us blow our cool. Defining and launching Cisco’s high-end LAN switching systems; being stuck in a conference room, in a marathon meeting, not able to access the network to find a piece of data key to the current discussion; designing a line of broadband IP subscriber management systems at Shasta; endless customer site meetings with no network connectivity. Stuff that would make the Dalai Lama blow a gasket. But not Keerti. He privately kept his cool by mentally going to his “happy place” when things got rough…a white sand beach on the island nation of Aruba, with a cool drink in his hand and his wife at his side. That thought kept him sane, and kept him on track with his important technology developments.

So when it came time to start his own company, to stake his place in the world of networking, the choice was clear…he had to deliver Aruba to everybody. This desire to invite the world into Keerti’s happy place drove the paradigm-shifting concept of user-centric networking.

Says an always-smiling Keerti: “I figured if we could create a world where every user, every network citizen, was able to securely take their enterprise connectivity experience with them wherever they went…branch office, warehouse, home, on the road…without effort, we’d end the frustrations that have stifled the promise of enterprise mobility. Without these frustrations, employees would be more productive and better armed with critical information, regardless of location. With happy employees, enterprise IT managers would be free of the frustrations thrust upon them by their mobile workforce. And with a happy infrastructure, senior management would see an increase in productivity and a direct impact on the bottom line. In effect, everybody would be in my happy place…picture a white sand beach lined with millions of relaxed enterprise workers, sipping drinks and sharing smiles.”

Sounds pretty good to us, Keerti. Welcome, everybody, to Aruba.