In honor of the upcoming press day, September 1st, the Aruba Tourism Authority offered a delicious breakfast followed by an extensive presentation to local press members – we showed up in full force!

The venue, Merêre Bistro, in the heart of Oranjestad, the initiative of Susanita La Bella, deserves compliments for delighting breakfast-eaters with a rich yet healthy spread.

First up CEO Ronella Croes, under the heading Conecta cu ATA. She reviewed industry results, noting that strong results are not automatic. Kudos to ATA, you have been a leader in Caribbean marketing for decades.

Croes then reviewed the evolution of her organization from a marketing body to a Destination Marketing and Management Organization and finally the present-day Tourism 4.0, the on-going transition to a regenerative guest economy.

What does it mean?

It means that in the early days for Tourism 1.0, from 1958 to 1985, Aruba laid the foundation to its tourism economy, supporting the primary economic pillar at the time, the refinery.

For Tourism 2.0, from 1986 to 2017, ATA worked full speed to grow the industry as the island’s core business, with the demise of the refinery.

For Tourism 3.0, from 2017 – to 2024, the organization pivoted to court a high-value, low-impact guest profile. We started talking about carrying capacity at the time, and a slogan promoting Aruba as a Dushi place to live, not just visit, emerged. ATA also diverted its attention and considerable funds to the management of our tourist product.

Today, it is actively involved in over 80 initiatives from beautification to preservation and conservation, cultural awareness, culinary excellence, youth activities, Art, Carnival, Sport and social responsibility.

For the current Tourism 4.0, ATA is considering the impact of heated tourism on the island and its quality of life. It is working on the transition to a regenerative guest economy that stars a more respectful guest who is informed, who cares about the environment and the locals, who applies less pressure on our infrastructure, who enjoys Aruba responsibly, who buys local, safeguards nature and is interested in our culture. That of course also applies to the locals who share the benefits from tourism, they too must be more respectful and cautious, when it comes to our precious few resources.

The ATA is taking the leading role in educating the public, both local and visiting.

Taking parts in the presentation several other ATA team members among them Gemey Zara, PR & Corporate Communications Specialist and Patrick Melchiors, Destination Service Manager.

There was no Q&A session.

I decided to be optimistic. The Galapagos islands managed to educate the world that they are globally important for their unique biodiversity, role in evolutionary science, and critical conservation value.

Why not Aruba?

Of course ATA’s course of action depends on the Minister of Tourism’s views and values, his political agenda, and his political courage. The former minister of tourism agreed in meetings to pivot and use different metrics to measure tourism success, but once in public only bragged about arrivals, as the measure for economic achievement.

The current Minister of Tourism, is the first one to express openly the need to pivot, change direction. He declared he aims at a shift, where VALUE would be the organizing principle, across the board, for visitors and locals. He also reiterated that well being of the island and its residents was most important in the long term.

We agree. Let’s see.

The 2026 Aruba Vacation Ownership Longitudinal Report presents vacation ownership as one of the foundations of Aruba’s tourism economy, rather than simply another accommodation segment. Commissioned by the Aruba Timeshare Association (ATSA) and Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) and prepared by the University of Aruba, the study is based on 1,481 completed surveys collected between November 2025 and January 2026. It is the third comparable study, following research conducted in 2008 and 2017, allowing Aruba to identify long-term changes in its vacation ownership market.

The sector today consists of approximately 16 resorts and 3,500 units, representing more than US$2 billion in cumulative capital investment and an estimated US$750 million in annual direct and indirect economic activity. The report argues that its real value goes beyond accommodation: owners generate spending for restaurants, retail, transportation, recreation, attractions, and other local businesses, while their repeat visits provide unusually predictable tourism demand.

The most striking characteristic is loyalty. The average owner is 66.6 years old; 79.4% have visited Aruba more than ten times, and 94.5% intend to return within two years. An extraordinary 95.5% would recommend Aruba to others, while 87.1% report being very or extremely satisfied with their current vacation experience.

There has also been a fundamental shift in why people own timeshare in Aruba. The destination itself has become more important than the ownership product. 95.9% use their ownership for personal vacations, compared with only 0.7% using exchanges. In 2008, personal use was 77.8% and exchange use 11.5%. This demonstrates that owners increasingly regard Aruba as their “home” destination rather than simply a convenient location within an international exchange network.

Owners also stay longer—an average 13.7 nights—and spend substantially on the island. Average on-island expenditure reached approximately US$2,100 per person, 48% higher than in 2017. Restaurants are the largest beneficiary, followed by accommodation, car rentals, shopping, gambling, groceries, and recreation.

The report’s central warning is demographic. The owner base is aging and highly mature, which reflects exceptional retention but creates a need to attract younger generations. At the same time, Aruba has limited room for large-scale inventory expansion. The future therefore depends less on building more units and more on preserving destination quality, strengthening loyalty, improving sustainability and safety, and creating flexible ownership products for younger buyers.

Ultimately, the report’s message is clear: Aruba competes on relationships, not volume. Its greatest vacation-ownership asset is not the number of rooms, but decades of emotional attachment between owners and the island. Protecting Aruba’s environment, cleanliness, safety, hospitality and overall quality is therefore essential not only to timeshare, but to the resilience and competitiveness of Aruba’s tourism economy.

Chef Urvin Croes launched his 16th menu at INFINI, in July. It was conceived as a journey through the cultures, traditions and ingredients that shaped the Caribbean, rather than simply being a collection of modernized Aruban dishes.

When Infini opened in 2020, Chef Croes wanted freedom from being defined by a particular cuisine or geographic tradition. The restaurant’s name stands for that philosophy, granting infinite possibility with umami, deliciousness derived from combined ingredients, in unconventional ways, as the common denominator.

For menu XVI, Chef Croes threaded together 12 dishes, one by one, personally explaining the historical Caribbean connection behind each name and ingredient, to his diner, at his stylish studio restaurant at Blue Condominium.

This is the chef’s most story-telling menu to date, as he is setting history at the heart of each dish. Each carefully assembled and plated course is a chapter in the saga of our multi-cultural island, coming alive with contemporary techniques reinterpreting Caribbean food traditions.

The menu takes off with Limpia Man, a ritualistic Hibiscus cleansing oil, as the introduction to the experience. It is organic and made on the island- its fragrance inspires calm and anticipation.

Chef Croes always introduces a young an ambitious kitchen team, a knowledgeable sommelier, and his group of diners, to each other.

Batata, the first appetizer stars sweet potato, in THREE different presentations in combination with tuna, coconut, jerk spices, onion, pineapple, mango and mustard. The marriage of sweet potato, and tropical fruit meets tuna and jerk seasoning, introducing the idea that ingredients move between cultures, continents, and timelines.

A story precedes every dishes. Chef Croes talks about the heritage of the Taíno, one of the indigenous populations of Aruba. He explains the meaningful connection between the Indigenous cultures of Venezuela, Aruba, Curaçao, and the other Caribbean islands, with batata, among the tropical staples on the island.

For Kachá & Bada, the chef forges a partnership with bread sommelier Zaida Everon of T2Pan, who bakes a special chocolate sourdough for Infini, made of quality regional cacao beans. The artisanal butter is made with tomato, cilantro, avocado. The name of the dish evokes African food traditions, while the chocolate sourdough is a contemporary intervention.

For Ikpiki, Amberjack, honeydew, jalapeño, lemon, and bay leaves, delivered a seafood course built around a combination of tropical freshness, acidity and aromatic herbs. It ranked high among my favorites.

Jambo, one of the most traditional Aruban dishes, predating European arrival by thousands of years, took part in a seafood medley, sharing the dish with delicate Turbot, shrimp, mussels, cilantro, a touch of heat with famed Madame Jeanette pepper, celery, and green grape. This presentation sits at the intersection of Caribbean and European food traditions. Chef Croes explained how food travelled through migration, colonization, trade, slavery, cultural exchange, and adaptation, to arrive in Aruba, in the 21st century.

The Limpia Paladar, delivered a Mojito bonbon, in a most unusual presentation, placed on the thumb joint, with instructions to just gulp it down. It was delicious, reminiscent of a rich, creamy chocolate bonbon.

Next, Keshi Yena, an interpretation of the most-loved Aruban dish of shredded pork and chicken, aged Gouda, green olives, raisins, and capers. Chef Croes explained that the origin of the dish is Colonial, as slaves used the discarded hollowed Dutch cheese rind as a receptacle, stuffing it with kitchen leftovers and whatever condiments they found, to make a baked savory meal. I did not know the story, and it makes perfect sense.  This dish has the greatest immediate significance for Aruba, it is iconic, and appears on many menus here, in different versions. At Infini, Chef Croes turned it into a fine dining expression.

In Merchants and Mangroves the chef combines Sirloin, harissa, Creole spices, black-eyed peas, bok choy, za’atar, vanilla and dukkah, a true East and West centerpiece. The chef explains that this dish stands for the movement of people across islands and continents, the exchange of commodities, and spices through the Caribbean, and around the globe.

Mosaic transitions the menu from savory to sweet.  It deliberately confuses the boundaries between the two by serving bread pudding, pecorino, king oyster mushroom, coffee, verjus, a raisin juice, pear and soy.

Carnival, the dessert, is a painting on a plate, made with corn cake, rum, soursop, chocolate, mandarin, tamarind, lime, and basil. It’s a big dessert statement, fusing the whole Caribbean pantry, and the name Carnival is very appropriate, loaded with cultural meaning.

Cos Dushi, dainty macaroon, filled with ponche crema, rum and passion fruit, almost concludes the evening.

The evening wraps up with Infini’s now-signature Bahama Mama Cupcake, which is served as the farewell gift at the end of the experience, in the spirit of Caribbean hospitality, guests always leave with a takeout bag.

The restaurant describes the menu as “Celebrating Caribbean flavor while pushing the boundaries of modern fine dining.” I totally agree.

A distinctive wine pairing is an option, complimenting the culinary sensation, it spans the globe and includes some excellent wine makers: Cava, Bonard, Brut, Spanish sparkling wine, as a welcome flute, then Billecart Salmon, a premium French Champagne; Marc Bred. Vouvray, France; Elena Walch, Sauvignon, Italy; Achaval Ferrer, Syrah, Argentina; Amarone, Della Valpolicella, Italy; Gonzalez Byass, Solera, Spanish Sherry and a repeat choice of Infini’s sommeliers Oremus, Tokaii, Late Harvest, Hungary.

Chef Croes gives credit to local growers and producers Farm a Cure Fungi, Petite Greens, Ceramics by Rani, Happyponics Aruba, T2Pan, LOVEmade, Smokey Bills, Mr. Webo, Nonna’s Gourmet and Hot Delight Pica di Papaya.

Under Chef Croes’ leadership, Infini is just one of three successful food concepts making guests happy. They are Infini at Blue Condominium, and Poke Ono, with two distinct locations, one at Azul condominium and the other at Renaissance Marketplace. The most recent addition is Caya House on Palm Beach.

Infini, into its seventh year of success, launches a different tasting menu every six months. It should be noted that Chef Croes is a tireless mentor, and the young cooks apprenticing in his kitchen are enjoying careers in various local restaurants thanks to the good methodology and work habits instilled by him in his own kitchens. Infini’s chef’s table dining experience is limited to just 18 guests. Book your culinary journey with Infini by calling:

+1-305-420-6432 (USA)

+297-280-8869 or +297-699-3982 (Aruba)

Or send an email to reservations@infiniaruba.com

Boolchand checked into the old Maduro Travel space and is now offering an interactive shopping experience styled similarly as the Apple stores — elegant, roomy, showcasing different products and staffed with knowledgeable salespeople ready to show us how things work, and why we MUST have them.

Rockefellerstraat? We hope the store is as successful as any Rockefeller venture!

The Boolchand family tells a Caribbean business story of almost 100 years, and the company is deeply rooted in the region, where it was created in 1930, in Curacao, spreading from there to Aruba, Caracas, Venezuela, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, St. Thomas, St, Kitts, Miami and Puerto Rico, at one time or the other.

According to the company website the business was started by Boolchand Pessoomal Nandwani, an Indian entrepreneur. The original store, located in Punda, was called Oriental Art Palace. It sold imported goods from India, China, and Japan—silks, brassware, embroidered textiles, carved furniture and other luxury/art objects.

The family’s roots are in the Sindh region of the Indian subcontinent. Nandwani had left India for Panama around 1901, where he worked as a salesman and eventually became a business partner. He returned to India in 1927 with the idea of setting up his own enterprise.

The story of the Nandwani family tells us an interesting migration story from Sindh to Panama, Curaçao and the wider Caribbean. The empire builder was Dada, Doulatram Boolchand Nandwani. After his father’s death in 1950, Dada came from India to Curaçao and took over the business. His wife and first son, Ram, initially remained in India. Remarkably, Dada managed to transform what had been essentially one family store into a regional retail operation. He was an extraordinary salesman and traveler. He would tell people he lived in planes because he was constantly traveling between the islands and businesses. At one point he was running 33 retail stores with his son.

No wonder he lived in planes. The company expanded regionally, and became a far-reaching group.

Boolchand’s has been in Aruba since 1974 — 52 years as of 2026. The company originally opened a St. Michael’s, a Marks & Spencer-licensed apparel/lifestyle store, on Caya Betico Croes. Over roughly two decades they expanded the Aruba operation to six stores. They subsequently moved into electronics, jewelry, watches, and international brands, and their specialty brand Pandora now boasts nine stores in the Caribbean. It was introduced in Aruba in 2005. Crocs is also a successful brand in the Boolchand universe.

Marks & Spencer, an English apparel brand, was the company’s first strategic partner. The company later transitioned to carry Oriental goods, tourist retail merchandise, clothing, electronics, watches/jewelry, international franchises and distribution, and it remained a family business all along.

It is a genuine family business, and it has evolved over four generations of the Nandwani family. We are familiar with the fourth generation, Ravee Nandwani, entering the business in 1999, the founder’s grandson. He moved to Aruba in 2000 to run the local operation, and thus the baton was passed from third to fourth generation. There are three more family members of the fourth generation who are active within the company.

Boolchand’s will be celebration a centennial in four years, with 250+ employees, 23 retail stores in five territories, they distribute certain brands and hold the license for other, they have regional real-estate interests, and a successful e-commerce.

I liked the following anecdote: In 1969, the Curaçao riots destroyed the original Boolchand store in Punda and wiped out its inventory. The family apparently had no insurance. According to the company’s history, Maduro & Curiel’s Bank nevertheless supported Dada financially so he could rebuild. He moved into the three-story building he had bought earlier and rebuilt the operation. That episode tells us a lot about the family’s position in Curaçao’s business community.

The Nandwani were part of the much larger Sindhi Indian merchant diaspora that became extremely influential in Caribbean commerce. Curaçao was particularly attractive because of its port, international trade and Free Zone. One historical account estimates that Curaçao became home to 2,000 people in its Indian/Sindhi community, with dozens of businesses.

The Nandwani are one of the old merchant families that helped create the modern commercial network connecting the Dutch Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean tourist economy.

We wish you success in the new glitzy location. Retail isn’t dead, it’s well and live when given a new twist, and ample investment.

On Sunday, 23 August, the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, the renewed exhibition ‘NOS: Kaminda Pasado i Presente ta topa’ opened simultaneously in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

Through the renewed exhibition, the Slavery Memorial Committee brings greater visibility to the stories of people across the six Caribbean islands of the Kingdom who resisted slavery and oppression. At a later date, the renewed exhibition will also open in Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius.

The renewed ‘NOS: Kaminda Pasado i Presente ta topa’ places a stronger emphasis on resistance: on the people who, long before slavery was formally abolished, claimed their freedom, dignity and humanity in different ways. In doing so, the exhibition tells the history of slavery not solely through the lens of oppression and unfreedom, but also through resistance, courage and the ongoing struggle for freedom.

Stories of Resistance from the Six Islands

The renewed exhibition highlights several heroes of resistance from the history of the islands. Among them are The Saba 14, Maria, Flora, Tula, Thico, Martis di Catalina Janga, One-Tete Lokhay and Thomas Dupersoy.

Special attention is given to the role of women in resisting slavery and colonial oppression. Their stories have long received less visibility, despite the fact that women actively led uprisings, escaped enslavement, mobilised others and, in many different ways, refused to submit to the system of slavery.

The exhibition consists of a series of visual canvases that bring these stories to life. Through QR codes accompanying the exhibition, visitors can also watch videos that explore the history and significance of the individuals and events in greater depth.

Tula takes centre stage at Curaçao opening

In Curaçao, the exhibition was launched during ‘Heroes of Freedom: A Heritage Experience’ at the offices of the Slavery Memorial Committee in Otrobanda.

The evening included the premiere of a new documentary about Tula, created by filmmaker German Gruber Jr. and commissioned by the Slavery Memorial Committee. The approximately 45-minute documentary features several experts on the history of slavery and the life of Tula.

At its heart is the struggle for freedom that Tula began alongside many others on 17 August 1795. The uprising grew into the largest freedom uprising in the history of the Dutch Caribbean, with approximately 2,000 people eventually joining the movement. Tula’s fight for freedom and human dignity became an enduring symbol of resistance.

Following the documentary, a Bou’i Pal’i Tamarein was held. During this dialogue session, attendees reflected together on Tula’s struggle, his significance for Curaçao and the rest of the Kingdom, and the ways in which his legacy continues to resonate today.

From slavery to freedom and beyond

‘NOS: Kaminda Pasado i Presente ta topa’ places these stories of resistance within a broader historical continuum. The exhibition not only reflects on the period of slavery and its formal abolition in 1863, but also demonstrates how the struggle for genuine freedom, equality and self-determination continued long afterwards.

In doing so, the exhibition invites visitors to view the history of slavery from a different perspective: not only by considering what was done to people, but also by recognizing the ways in which they resisted, claimed their freedom and helped pave the way for generations to come.

23 August

The simultaneous opening in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao was deliberately held on 23 August, the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. This international day of remembrance reflects on the history of the transatlantic slave trade, resistance to it and the struggle that ultimately contributed to the abolition of slavery.

Through the simultaneous opening on three islands, followed by later openings in Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius, the Slavery Memorial Committee aims to connect stories of resistance from across the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and make them accessible to a broad audience.

Exhibition open to the public free of charge

In Curaçao, ‘NOS: Kaminda Pasado i Presente ta topa’ can be visited at the Slavery Memorial Committee, Bèlvedèrestraat 43–45 in Otrobanda.

In Bonaire, the exhibition is on display at the public library, while in Aruba it can be visited at the Archivo Nacional di Aruba.

Admission is free.

Note to editors: For more information, please contact Communications Advisor Kim Sambo at +5999 5237860 or kim.sambo@hc-slv.org.