United Force Foundation Aruba is an officially registered foundation here, it is headquartered at Esso Heights, San Nicolas. One of its early projects is a Pasa Dia by the name of Sunshine House, close to Congoweg, up the street from the Peking restaurant, on Weverstraat. I heard about it from artist Vanessa Paulina whose mother visits the facility, run by a tireless hospitality veteran, now retired Joyce Charles.

I had the privilege to visit the place. It is a residential house, converted into a semi-comfortable Pasa Dia, where the elderly can spend the day, doing crafts, talking, and sharing a modest meal prepared by Joyce and her volunteers.

This is a shoestring budget operation.

I called a few people about it, but no one gets back. They are busy.

So I decided to tell you anyway, without much detail.

The Rotarians, Lions or Kiwanis, might want to pick up the glove.

The Pasa Dia concept, for elderly with cognitive difficulties, was promoted by the former Minister Ursell Arends, in his role as Minister of Elderly Affairs, but true to tradition here, all previous plans were scrapped as soon as there was a government change.

Minister Arends had a Dutch expert on the island, Lia de Jongh, planning and strategizing improvements in the life of the elderly, but she left with the outgoing minister and created a void.

The elderly were sent back into isolation, boredom, and rejection.

In Savaneta and Santa Cruz there are two successful psycho-social centers, Mama Ties and Cas Marie, they are supported by private foundations. These two homes function as Pasa Dias, a kind of day-care for adults, suffering from initial stages of dementia & Alzheimer.

Sunshine House is a non-profit struggling to find support. It traces its roots to a temporary Pasa Dia address at the Red Cross office in San Nicolas. It has been operating on Weverstraat, for a few months, a few days a week, and it needs more support from the community. Sunshine home invites dementia sufferers to exercise a bit, socialize and spend time during the day, while their family members are at work. They are encouraged to do what brings them joy, crafts, cooking, exercising, dancing, solving puzzles, and interacting with each other and big-hearted volunteers.

Former Minister Arends, said at the time that his office is planning to open more, similar Pasa Dia facilities, in every barrio on the island, because the need is big. Dementia and Alzheimer sufferers need constant care, and with the availability of Pasa Dias, their adult children can entrust ailing parents or senior family members to a reputable, responsible organization, and go about their day, benefiting from a break of worrying about their loved ones.

Joyce is hopeful the foundation treasurer Nathalie Rietman will come up with some funding. I hope so too!!

Fernando Vermeer’s IMAGEN

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/fernando-vermeers-imagen/

Saba open House

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/saba-open-house/

Therapy? Retail!

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/therapy-retail/

Aruba Stands at a Crossroads in Its Tourism Evolution

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/aruba-stands-at-a-crossroads-in-its-tourism-evolution/

Fashion Soirée at the Renaissance Mall

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/fashion-soiree-at-the-renaissance-mall/

Our Airport Moving in the Right Direction

https://batibleki.wheninaruba.com/our-airport-moving-in-the-right-direction/

Our Airport Moving in the Right Direction

From a reader: Greetings, my husband and I were on flight 870 leaving Aruba early in the month when we had to head back. I would like to acknowledge how the Aruban airport personnel handled a very difficult situation with finding hotels for everyone and rebooking our flight for the following day very thankful for all their help also the airline crew on the flight did an amazing job handling an unknown scary situation! And that is why we love Aruba!

That was good to hear. We heard less complimentary comments during the past three years about AAA’s handling unforeseen situations — it seems they are getting back on track.

One of my readers forwarded to me the letter by the new CEO, and Accountable Manager, Jonny Andersen, in which he is updating his colleagues regarding the executive leadership structure of Aruba Airport Authority.

He shared that following discussions between Jurgen Benschop and himself, they agreed that Jurgen will transition from his role as Chief Operating Officer to a new position as Strategic Advisor to the CEO for Special Projects, effective 10 March 2026.

In this role, Jurgen will focus on important strategic initiatives for AAA. His first assignment will be to support and advise on the ARFF insourcing project, an important step in further strengthening AAA’s operational framework and supporting the airport’s continued progress toward full aerodrome certification. (ARFF, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting.)

Jonny is saying the following, that airport’s regulatory and certification responsibilities must be protected as AAA grows into the new phase of development, Gateway 2030, and there are most important regulatory milestones ahead, that must be met with success, in addition to what we are aware of: Safe and efficient operational excellence.

My sources report that after careful consideration of the certification outcomes over the last three years and the impact on team culture during the interim leadership period it was decided that a different role for Jurgen would better align with the current airport needs.

And AAA needed to shop for a CEO overseas because of the absence of suitable candidates on island. If Aruba’s airport certification is jeopardized, U.S. carriers would no longer be permitted to fly here. We don’t want that.

My sources add: Trust me when I say that the organizational changes are already creating a positive effect and we are finally seeing succession planning. That last board of directors, left behind a legacy of poor performance. The new board and the new CEO are absolutely making sure that the airport is going in right direction, in collaboration with the Schiphol Group. Things are now finally going well. The previous board leadership had zero experience, and some members reportedly are under investigation on misconduct and poor corporate governance, as they took direct orders from ministers instead of following the interests of the company.

Thank you Jurgen for 27 years of dedication to AAA, success in your new role.

An atmosphere of elegance, style and celebration dominated Renaissance Mall last Saturday for an exciting fashion show, where color and creativity dressed up the catwalk, in the mall’s main artery. A local collaboration of designers and stylists came together to present an international event.

The solid attendance of A-Listers confirms interest in high-end fashion events and marks a major step in the continued development of Aruba’s creative and cultural industry.

Liza Blok, who spearheaded the project as owner of the participating boutiques reports various mall tenants expressed the desire to participate next time, thus the event will be repeated to including other high-end brands, in the future.

The star of the show, Eva Boutique, is celebrating 63 years of retail on the island. The business traces its roots to a modest dress shop – named Eva Boutique from the start, on a second-floor location, in Oranjestad, which was all the late Winnie Ponson could afford. Creating the logo herself, an apple, with two bites, she started buying the latest prêt-à-porter and haute-couture pieces for the fashion-thirsty Oranjestad society ladies. Winne’s son Anthony came on board as he graduated university. Then his beautiful wife, Liza, picked up the baton. She has been part of the business since 1995, adding her contemporary taste and personal chic to the already successful mother-son enterprise.

Under the title Fashion Soirée, the show unfolded in the mall with guests, fashion lovers, both locals and visitors enjoying bottomless flutes of Moët & Chandon Champagne and viewing extensive collections from Eva Boutique, presenting Gottex swimwear and resort apparel and Entre Nous, parading European fashion labels such as Kleid, Joseph Vibkoff and Florance, complemented by Vidda Jewelry and accessories.

Liza reports she is proud of her boutiques’ collaboration with local designer Maison Ryon. Designer Ryon Dijkhoff focused his segment of the show, on two themes, ‘Nostalgia’ and ‘Veneranda Celestial,’ loosely translated as the venerated celestial one! His collections included 100% silk scarves and an impressive custom wardrobe, from dresses to bathing suits and men’s shirts. The collection highlighted his exclusive Aruba inspired prints. A new fashion line, Nabeelonga, created by local model and designer Nabhilach de Palm, made its debut on the catwalk, and was enthusiastically received.

It was the return of high-end fashion parades to the Renaissance Mall, reminiscent of the good old years, in which we were often treated to runway spectacles by fashion giants. The return of a show of this level has created a sense of pride and excitement in the community, confirming that Aruba has the capacity to stage high impact quality events, supported by generous sponsors.

The evening welcomed local talent, entrepreneurship, and community collaboration, and served as a platform to promote creatives in Aruba, including talented and capable hair and makeup people. It also displayed the amazing spectrum of beauty on Aruba, with models of all ages and shapes walking the runway confidently and perfectly presented.

Gratitude to sponsors: Moët & Chandon Champagne, Aruba Trading, EVA Boutique, Entre Nous, Swift Distributions Aruba, Revlon, Kérastase, Swingmasterz and Verbum Works for making the event possible. A special thanks goes to the collaborators, volunteers and all guests who contributed to an unforgettable evening.

Eva Boutiques can be found at the Renaissance Mall and Riu Antilles, Entre Nous at the Renaissance Mall.

Written by Randall Lacle – M.A. Destination Tourism Management, 2× B.Sc. Hospitality and Tourism Management

The Draft Tourism Policy 2026–2031 makes the correct strategic diagnosis: when visitor arrivals grow faster than real tourism income, the destination absorbs the hidden cost as congestion, housing pressure, infrastructure load, and marine ecosystem stress—classic indicators of a mature destination drifting toward overtourism if not properly managed (UNWTO, 2018; Capocchi et al., 2019).

The policy’s Proportional Rule requiring at least +2% real receipts for every +1% in arrivals, introduces the value discipline characteristic of progressive, maturing destinations. Comparable “value over volume” approaches now guide national tourism strategies in countries such as New Zealand, which has formally shifted its priorities toward increasing yield, reducing seasonality, and ensuring regenerative outcomes that protect social license and infrastructure capacity (Tourism New Zealand, 2023; MBIE, 2022).

Yet while policy defines the desired trajectory, governance determines the lived reality. Globally, destination managers increasingly rely on condition‑based management frameworks rather than volume-based metrics alone. Two of the most influential are:

On beaches, social carrying capacity is as important as physical capacity: perceived quality declines once “people at once” (PAO) exceed locally acceptable norms. Tools such as the Beach Crowding Index and PAO spatial heat‑mapping support anticipatory management, triggering dispersion to less crowded areas or times before frustration and conflict arise (Serrano-Giné et al., 2018; da Silva, 2002). This is especially relevant for Aruba during peak cruise days.

Because beaches and reefs are shared commons, governance durability depends on co‑creation. Ostrom’s foundational work demonstrates that shared natural resources are most effectively sustained when users participate in rule‑setting, monitoring is local, and sanctions are graduated, typically following an “advise → warn → cite” progression (Ostrom, 1990). This is precisely the institutional logic underpinning a co‑managed beach code that residents and operators perceive as legitimate.

The same evidence base explains why resident well‑being and social license must be central to governance. Decades of research show community support increases when tourism benefits are viewed as equitable and costs such as crowding, noise, and housing stress are managed transparently; it falls when these conditions deteriorate (Hadinejad et al., 2019; Matatolu, 2019). Hence the importance of public dashboards, predictable enforcement, and community-responsive planning.

At sea, temporal recovery measures require careful design. Research on rotational closures shows they can enhance coral resilience when closure periods are sufficiently long and sequenced appropriately, whereas overly short rotations underperform (Rassweiler & Wall, 2024). Case studies such as Waikīkī demonstrate similar patterns (Williams et al., 2006). Aruba’s proposed Ocean Rest Day, built around monitoring and curated inland alternatives, aligns with this evidence.

Regarding cruise yield, regional benchmarks are clear: average Caribbean passenger spending typically ranges between US$100–$130 depending on year and vessel mix (FCCA/BREA, 2018, 2024). Pursuing volume without yield compresses public space and elevates friction. Achieving higher targets, e.g., US$150 real spend per passenger, requires curated experiences, spatial dispersion (e.g., toward San Nicolas, or other Burroughs), and leakage reduction rather than additional ship calls.

In essence, the White Paper sets the compass, and Destination Stewardship provides the steering. The Proportional Rule preserves economic value; the LAC/VUM logic preserves environmental and social legitimacy. Combined, they position Aruba to demonstrate how a mature island destination can improve daily life while safeguarding the very assets that sustain resilience: reefs, beaches, neighborhoods, and culture (UNWTO, 2018; Stankey et al., 1985; Interagency Visitor Use Management Council, 2016).

References