Following the trend set by another 11 Caribbean islands, the Dutch island of Aruba has just broken all tourism records in the first half of 2024.
With a stupendous increase of 19 percent over the same period last year, Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) welcomed 803,287 passengers from January to June, a figure never seen before on the island, according to the latest report.
To no one’s surprise, Americans continue to lead Aruba’s main source market with 73 percent of visitors. The second and third spots were taken by Canadians and Colombians, respectively.
Data suggest that recent political moves and marketing campaigns to attract visitors from other latitudes have started to pay off.
In 2024, Aruba has continued its expansion across Latin America with new direct flights from Lima, Peru.
As of today, the island boasts three hubs in this market: Bogota, Colombia, with Avianca; and Panama, with Copa Airlines.
“We have been actively pursuing a diversification strategy. This moment is a testament to the hard work on the island and by our team in Latin America,” said Ronella Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority.
Currently, the destination hosts 26 airlines which have managed to operate 14,000 successful flights in the first half. In 2025, Aruba will open a new US departure hub.
One of the most successful strategies implemented to lure fresh international travelers has been the brand-new visa-free entry policy for numerous nationalities.
This simplified travel process has benefited customers from over 70 countries and territories, including all of the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland.
By widening the scope of its visa-free policy, Aruba seeks to position “The One Happy Island” as a highly appealing destination to the global market.
As it was mentioned before, Aruba is not the only Caribbean destination experiencing a skyrocketing increase in tourists from all over the world.
At least 11 islands have surpassed their benchmark numbers of 2019. Some of them include Jamaica, Curacao, Bonaire, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Cayman Islands.
Some of these destinations have not only surpassed the numbers obtained before the pandemic but have also broken historical records this year.
Such is the case of the Dominican Republic, which set an all-time record for the entire Caribbean with more than 10 million visitors among air travelers and cruise passengers in 2023.
“Reaching 10 million tourists between air and cruise ships is a fact that should fill the entire country with pride, regardless of political flags, since all these visitors are friends of the country who contribute to the development and employment in the countryside and the support of the productive apparatus of the nation,” said Minister of Tourism David Collado.