Aruba Invites Travel Agents To Experience The Island Of 90,000 Friends You Haven’t Met Yet

Travel Professionals Continue to Be Rewarded with Island-Wide Travel Agent Months

The Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) and the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association (AHATA) are pleased to announce their recognition for travel professionals this year through a celebration of Travel Agent Months (TRAM), taking place now through December 15, 2009. The TRAM program is designed to give participants the opportunity to experience Aruba, the island of 90,000 friends you haven’t met yet, and to help them better sell the destination to vacationers.

TRAMS are open to travel agents and Aruba Certified Experts (ACE) agents who are qualified for eligibility. Agents who participate in Aruba’s TRAM program will enjoy multiple nights at an assortment of hotels and resorts island-wide. Many of Aruba’s hotels have recently undergone renovations to offer visitors a new level of elegance and sophistication in the Caribbean.

The TRAM program allows agents to visit Aruba with a companion and consists of three offerings (based on availability and on European Plan pricing [room only, no breakfast] unless otherwise noted) including:

*A maximum of 6 nights (3 at a high-rise hotel, 3 at a low-rise hotel) at a fixed cost of $390 for travel agents, and ACE agents at $270.
A minimum of 4 nights (2 at a high-rise hotel, 2 at a low-rise hotel) at a fixed cost of $260 for travel agents, and ACE agents at $180.

Those traveling on charter flights may stay up to 7 nights (3 nights at a high-rise hotel, 4 nights at a low-rise hotel or vice versa) for a fixed cost of $455 for travel agents, and ACE agents at $315.
Complimentary roundtrip ground transfers for visiting agents and their companions are provided courtesy of De Palm Tours upon arrival and departure in Aruba.  Air travel is not included.

Participating hotels include:

High-Rise
Occidental Grand Aruba
Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino
Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Westin Aruba Resort
Holiday Inn Sunspree Aruba Beach Resort
Hyatt Regency Resort & Casino
Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino

Low-Rise
Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort
Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa
Bucuti Beach Resort Aruba
The Mill Resorts & Suites
Divi Aruba Beach Resort
Tierra Del Sol Resort
Divi Village Golf & Beach
MVC Eagle Beach Aruba
Aruba Resort & Casino at Eagle Beach
Talk of the Town
The Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba
Divi Dutch Village
Brickell Bay Beach Club
Divi Aruba Phoenix

Aruba’s valued ACE agents receive the added bonus of discounts when signing up for the TRAM program.  ACE agents are Aruba’s destination specialists and the island is dedicated to continuing to educate and nurture this group of loyal, enthusiastic and productive travel providers by offering a variety of benefits like cash back bonuses, marketing support, and more.  For more information on becoming an Aruba ACE agent, please visit agents.aruba.com

“We are dedicated to providing our travel agent partners the opportunity to visit and experience first-hand what makes Aruba so distinct from other Caribbean islands. We value agents and their hard work and our goal is to make it easier for them to sell Aruba’s tourism attributes to their customers,” said Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, ATA’s managing director.  “We consider our partnerships with U.S. travel agents crucial to Aruba’s tourism success.”

“Travel agents have always been our greatest Ambassadors. Through this program, we get to reward them for their loyalty. The TRAM program also gives us a chance to show off our $500 million in recent new developments which include renovations and upgrades to many of our hotels,” said Rob Smith, AHATA’s president and CEO. “We’ve had a tremendous response to our TRAM program in the past and look forward to welcoming many more agents to our island in 2009.”

For more information about vacations in Aruba, please visit online at www.ARUBA.com or call 1.800.TO.ARUBA.
For TRAM information, please visit agents.aruba.com.