May 14th, 2007 Aruba Redesigns Site, Providing Improved Navigation & Access to Tourism Information, Added User-Friendly Features & Much More
To accommodate today’s technology-driven world, and the trend of more and more travelers looking to the Internet for information about booking holidays, Aruba is proud to announce that Aruba.com is getting a makeover! In 2006, 39% of visitors to Aruba used the Web as a method to book their trips and Aruba.com is currently one of the most-visited Caribbean destination Web sites.* Indeed, recent industry studies show that more than half of U.S. travelers start at the chosen destination’s Web site when vacation-planning. With this in mind, Aruba has reworked its Web site to better facilitate interaction between potential travelers and the island’s tourism industry by creating more user-friendly options with updated features and richer interactive content. All this is aimed at accompanying visitors from beginning to end throughout their vacation Experience Cycle.
The redesign of Aruba.com aims at enhancing the site’s information to cater to the growing number of travelers who book their vacations online and providing a more dynamic experience for sophisticated online customers. The Web site not only encourages Consumer Generated Content such as visitor communities, blogs, message boards and visitor testimonials, but also offers tools for international travelers in three languages, and will introduce a “Share My Home” planning function through which travelers can create, save and share their travel itineraries throughout the planning stages. Simply put, the upgraded Aruba.com makes planning a vacation to Aruba as carefree and relaxing as the vacation itself.
The Experience Cycle enhances tourist experiences by guiding them through each and every aspect of their journey. The innovative Aruba.com ensures that visitors can find all the information they need at their fingertips before, during, and after the trip. The Experience Cycle is made up of the following components:
- Dreaming: A bevy of videos, images and multimedia presentations exhibiting the island’s many attractions.
- Research & Planning: Accommodations, vacation packages and a list of activities, making planning a snap.
- Booking: Direct contact information allows users to book their hotel, flight and activities easily.
- Experiencing: Acting as an on-island guide, the Web site ensures that visitors won’t miss a thing.
- Return Home: Visitors share experiences through online message boards and they can keep up with Aruba news.
- Return Visit: Online surveys and promotions make the dream of returning to Aruba, a reality.
“We are dedicated to continually upgrading the Aruba experience for our guests from the planning stages of their vacation and beyond,” said Managing Director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, Myrna Jansen. “We’ve recognized the importance of the Web in travel planning. We are making these major enhancements to accommodate not only our valued repeat visitors, but also to offer potential Aruba travelers everything they need to plan the perfect getaway.”
*Based on the Alexa ranking.
