Aruba is thrilled to announce that the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) has selected the island paradise as the host country for the 2009 International Conference, set for December 3-6. The event will bring together the top minds in incentive travel, a multi-billion dollar global industry, to one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated destinations. Aruba promises to be the “host with the most” as it welcomes hundreds of delegates from around the world for three days of educational sessions, vendor showcases, roundtables, networking events, gala dinners and much more. The 2009 International Conference will be held at the two official host hotels, The Westin Aruba Resort and the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa.

Securing this significant conference comes at a perfect time for the destination as Aruba is enjoying increased interest from around the globe. Not only has the island recently undergone over $350 million in upgrades, expansions and renovations across all aspects of the tourism sector, but arrivals from the U.S. in 2007 were also up 3.27% over the previous year. While worldwide arrivals also saw a remarkable increase with an extraordinary 8.56% spike over 2006, with 753,816 visitors from around the world making Aruba their destination of choice in 2007.

“SITE’s membership is rich with innovators who greatly influence not only the evolution of the incentive industry, but also the business outcomes of client organizations,” said SITE President Padraic Gilligan. “The SITE International Conference is a superlative forum where professionals from around the world gather to share insights that help them achieve professional goals, surpass client expectations, and have a meaningful and positive impact on economies of destination cities around the world.”

“We were thrilled to hear of SITE’s decision to make Aruba its host location for the 2009 International Conference,” said Minister of Tourism and Transportation, Edison Briesen. “The incentive travel industry is an important one for our island and we are looking forward to showcasing the many things that sets Aruba apart from the rest of the Caribbean region throughout the conference. We are confident that SITE’s commitment to bringing together the most influential minds in this field, coupled with Aruba’s dedication to delivering an unmatched travel experience to all our guests, is a recipe for success.”

These principals of community, leadership and growth guide SITE’s vision — as well as its commitment to selecting distinct locales for its own events. Aruba, situated in the southern Caribbean, is a tropical paradise that enjoys year-round near perfect weather, less than 20 inches of rainfall annually, extraordinary hotels and resorts, over 200 incredible international restaurants, and an extremely rich heritage. Arubans, renowned for their warmth and hospitality and known as the friendliest in the Caribbean region, proudly showcase the island’s cultural and environmental diversity, and are equally devoted to respecting and preserving the island’s pristine marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

“Because Aruba is, without question, one of the top incentive travel destinations in the Caribbean, it is fitting that SITE, the foremost professional association devoted to the incentive travel market, would choose our island as the host for its 2009 International Conference,” said Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, managing director for the Aruba Tourism Authority. “The decision makers in the incentive travel industry will experience a successful event as a result of our strong public/private partnership that makes planning a meeting so much easier and Aruba’s well-known hospitality.”

“Aruba is ideal for SITE’s constituency,” said SITE CEO Brenda Anderson. “Sharing experiential knowledge is imperative for incentive and travel professionals who wish to enhance expertise and better understand this worldwide industry. Aruba offers a unique setting; it’s a model for promoting economic development with a keen eye toward cultural and environmental sensitivity — both of which are top-of-mind for SITE members and the organizations they work with to implement programs that drive business success.”

“I am really proud of the fact that our entire destination has gotten behind securing the SITE Conference for Aruba,” said Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association President and CEO, Rob Smith. “What could be a better investment than bringing the world’s professional meeting planners to one destination? Aruba has prepared for this for the last few years, undergoing a half a billion dollars of investment in its resort and meetings facilities and I am confident this will be our day in the sun.”