Above was one of the ideas presented in the minister of tourism’s white paper, Draft of Tourism Policy, aiming at easing congestion in Oranjestad, and broadening economic benefits across the island.

I went to St. Nicolas this week to look at the Art Rap Marooning Practices expo.

On my way back I decided to veer off the main drag and look at the back streets, at the real San Nicolas.

I was saddened by what I saw.

The area is so poor, abandoned and neglected, paint peeling, weeds everywhere, empty window frames, broken glass, cracked and crumbling wall.

The main street from the gas station to the bus depo, gets some attention, though it is far from perfect. Further down the street from the bus depo to the Alverhick Hotel, just a few pockets of life can be observed.

And I find it very alarming that the owners of the bars, in the ‘red light district,’ are allergic to paint and clean windows. It is all so run down and miserable.

I returned from my trip depressed, though lunch at The New Publito Paisa was lovely, and busy.

Reasonably priced too.

If the plan to send 25 percent of cruise calls to San Nicolas is more than hot air, then a huge investment is needed.

Perhaps APA can swap some land with the government. APA gets some of the refinery’s land to clean up and develop an arrival area for cruise visits, and in return APA gives GOA some of the free zone land to develop as a waterfront park.

The idea of creating a waterfront park was well presented in a recent article in AweMainta, on March 3rd.

A land swap could be a solution, to help make the minister’s cruise call plan a reality.

In 1995 GOA announced that it would attempt to create a mixed-use development with a public park, commercial and residential real estate in the defunct free zone area.

Then in 2016, the container port moved to Barcadera, and in 2022 the official plan to develop Port City was revealed.

At the time there was talk about residences for locals and visitors.

Let us think about it.

We MUST NOT develop any condominium projects, no mas, basta.

On the other hand we need 8,000 homes for locals.

Below is a BAD IDEA, from a press release in September of last year: Our Prime Minister, announced the government’s vision to redevelop the Port City area in Oranjestad into a residential neighborhood designed for local residents. The inspiration comes from Brandevoort de Veste in Helmond, the Netherlands, a community completed in 2005 and known for its unique layout of homes arranged around green spaces and community facilities. During a recent visit, the Prime Minister met with the developers of Brandevoort de Veste to explore opportunities for collaboration.

The government’s plan for Port Town emphasizes one- and two-story homes, public parks, schools, and shaded communal areas. The project will focus on affordability for middle-income residents and will include contract clauses prohibiting the use of homes for Airbnb or other short-term rentals. In addition to Port Town, a similar project is being considered for the Sero Colorado area. Designers will be invited to present proposals that combine local architectural elements with the community-centered model of Brandevoort de Veste.

The area of the Free Zone has a HUGE economic value and therefore CANNOT be used for social housing.

Affordable housing is not economically feasible on such an expensive land, GOA should not assume its value as ZERO, no locals would be able to afford to live there unless GOA subsidizes buyers, which is a bad idea.

What is left to do? The area must become a park, and perhaps in 50 years, we would need some fancy condominiums, and the area could be converted, but NOT now.

Other areas must be identified for social housing.

Yet, so far, I just heard about student apartments, no major public housing project suggested.

GOOD IDEA: With Aruba facing a housing shortage, the government is committed to accelerating residential projects that prioritize the needs of local families and strengthen community life.

Aruba Tourism Authority officially premiered the short film ‘Mi Rason’ last week. The movie, with a dedicated original soundtrack, was designed to celebrated Aruba’s culture and identity. Rodrick “Rocco” Franken and Freddy Rasta performed the title song.

The premier in the presence of dignitaries took place at Gasparito Aruban Estate.

The film has a didactic message putting local customs, norms, and values on display.

The story revolves around childhood memories of Rocco, called Ricky in the film, a carefree kid, with loving grandparents, growing up playing in the mondi, no phones, no tablets, no gaming, no TV.

Rocco’s adorable, and talented son plays young Ricky. The charming grandparents are Rocco’s mother and stepfather.

The film depicts a perfect childhood, where the island boy is taught to respect elders, to return home on time, to apologize when late, to sit down for dinner with the elders, clean his plate, take a good bath!

These were norms of yesteryears. Today’s childhoods look and feel a bit different. But then… for fun, young Ricky suggests driving around, something that many still do on the island, spending quality time together…driving around in the car – a practice from before gasoline got expensive, and traffic congested.

Ricky idyllic life takes him to church, grandpa teaches him how to play dominos, they go to the beach, Ricky splashes in the waves, he enjoys music education and plays the piano. While mom works at a restaurant, her precious son is cared for by the grandparents.

The film also depicts Ricky as he grows up into the singer and the influencer we know today. He was lucky to have such a supportive, protected childhood and he would like us all to help protect the paradise that raised him, realizing that life is culture, culture is life.

As I said, today’s childhoods look and feel a bit different. I do not have to tell you.

ATA and generous sponsors decided to rub our noses into the way it was and urge us to protect it before it is lost.

The film was shot be Ken Wolff, so it is lyrical and in good taste.

I liked it. It made me nostalgic.

Big Question: What will generation YZ say?? Do they care about local customs, norms, and values?

The film also features brief dialogues with historians and local authors who share their stories and values ​​they carry to this day.

The production was guided by Derchlien Dijkhoff, Senior Product Specialist of A.T.A. Main actor is Rodrick “Rocco” Franken with his son, Zevi Franken, with contributors Gregory Richardson, Rosabelle Illis, Desiree Correa, and Lurena Schwengle.

ATA says that the main purpose of Mi Rason, My Reason, is to strengthen national pride and to inspire the community to reflect on what motivates us to care for and value our island. The film and song are a tribute to Aruba, celebrating our past and hoping for our future. A.T.A. chose to premiere Mi Rason precisely during the period of celebration of 40 years of Status Aparte and 50 years of National Anthem and Flag, which are two important milestones.

According to Ronella Croes: “My Reason is a tribute; a warm embrace of our past, a reflection of who we are today, and a compass that guides the future we are building.”

The film wants to urge the community to reconnect with its roots and invites everyone to find out what is their own reason to love, protect and value our island.

Mi Rason is available to watch on TeleAruba every Wednesday and Friday during the month of March, at 7pm. In addition, the movie and song are available on channel YouTube official of Aruba Tourism Authority.

We have been talking about the housing shortage. Locals cannot afford housing, let alone find a place to pitch their tent.

One of my friends told be the sad story of ABLE Realty Aruba, which came up with a reasonable plan for homes, by the name of Jewel Residence,

This is what he said:

I am asking for your help in getting the news out in the hope of reaching more owners. I am one of those affected and I am organizing with others to move forward collectively

Jewel Residence is a project that was announced in 2020, consisting of 19 lots, in Seroe Blanco.

The concept of the project is based on selling the lots and constructing, as a “turn-key” home together with Able Realty. However, it took five years before the first homes could begin construction. Able Realty, acts as the main contractor led by Anthony Lejuez complemented by his father Tony Lejuez, responsible for the sale of the lots.

Due to extensive delays, many of those who bought a lot in the project feel misled and poorly informed, and some even decided to sell their lots because of the lack of communication and clear progress by Able Realty.

Now, after waiting five years for construction to begin, there are still significant delays in the execution and completion of the various construction phases. This has forced many buyers to request extensions on their bank grace periods, resulting in added interest payments and increased financial pressure.

There are homes that, according to contract, should have been completed within a specified timeframe, yet in reality, little to NO visible progress has been made. There are also property owners who have fully paid for their construction phases but work repeatedly stops due to lack of materials or absence of workers.

This situation has caused severe financial hardship for the buyers. Furthermore, according to several property owners, the directors of Able Realty are not fulfilling their obligations and, in some cases, have threatened that owners that they should not continue waiting if they choose to seek legal aid or consult an attorney.

Some families are already paying both a mortgage and rent at the same time, which is an enormous financial burden. According to their accounts, they regularly call and attempt to communicate with Able Realty, but receive no concrete solutions, Instead, they are met with intimidating treatment, and see no meaningful action toward completing the homes. This situation is breaking many families both emotionally and financially, forcing them to cope with a burden that is becoming increasingly unsustainable.

Additionally, due to the astronomical price of land in Aruba, many families cannot afford to end their current contracts and start over. Land has become practically unaffordable, placing buyers in a highly vulnerable position. According to their testimonies, Able Realty is using this situation to threaten and intimidate clients, knowing that many of them have no realistic alternative.

We are currently seeking more landowners within the project to come together so that we can unite and pursue our rights collectively. Nobody knows what Able is doing with the money.

In my case, I paid Awg 72.000 at the start of December for phase two of my construction. It’s still a long way from being done. Same with countless others. Able Realty is not providing answers, deflecting questions, and making excuses about shortage of materials. In fact, construction workers are not being paid and thus they are not showing up to work.

It has been very stressful. Will banks grant added grace periods? When the extensions expire, with mortgage and rent payments, families won’t have food on the table. We have been waiting since 2020.

FYI: At first glance, Able Realty, active since 1988, looked reliable since it has been involved in a number of seemingly successful projects. Able Realty presents itself as a family-owned real estate firm, buying, selling, and marketing properties and also developing residential projects.

The Minister of Tourism distributed a USB stick to a few entities last week, which contained his Draft Tourism Policy, for review.

His plan is to arrange one-on-one meetings for feedback and then hold a joint dialogue afterwards.

One of my readers forwarded the document to me.

In one word: Disappointing.

It does not address any of the concerns expressed by the community.

The document starts promisingly stating that for years GOA believed that Aruba’s success story was simple: more tourists, more prosperity. But in recent years, at least since 2018, reality tells a more complicated story, and with the draft of Aruba at a Tourism Crossroads, From Volume to Value, From Growth to Capability, Policy White Paper 2026 – 2031, GOA is responding with what they call a policy shift.

The document states that between 2019 and 2024, visitor arrivals grew by 27 percent, which is impressive on the surface, but when you take inflation into consideration, real tourism receipts grew by only 13 percent. In other words, the island welcomed far more people while earning proportionally less from each of them. The system was expanding, but not deepening.

That gap — arrivals growing at more than twice the pace of real income — is what Aruba’s new Draft Tourism Policy (2026–2031) is attempting to close with something they call the Proportional Rule, which says that for every 1 percent increase in visitor arrivals, real tourism receipts must grow by at least 2 percent.

Instead of counting butts in beds, Aruba will measure value – income per visitor, productivity per worker, spending per cruise passenger.

It means that airlines, hotel developers, and cruise operators will need to demonstrate that their growth plans deepen Aruba’s economic returns, not just its foot traffic.

The document recognizes that for many tourism-dependent islands growth outpaces a community’s capacity to absorb it, while it erodes the very things that made the destination worth visiting, such as congestion, housing unaffordability, overstretched infrastructure, stressed coral reefs — these are not just inconveniences. They are signals of a system under strain.

So far so good, we agree.

But the fixes suggested in the document are pitiful. WHY BOTHER?

Nothing about our burning issues – check list of burning issues at the end of blog,

INSTEAD: The minister suggests a monthly Marine Rest Day, beginning in 2028 that will give Aruba’s reefs and coastal waters structured recovery time — recognizing that healthy ecosystems are not a luxury, they are the foundation of the island’s appeal. GOOD LUCK with that.

AND…. Cruise passengers will have to spend more, an average of $150 a day by 2031. They now spend a measly $130.

AND… At least 25 percent of cruise calls will be redirected to San Nicolas, easing congestion in Oranjestad, and broadening economic benefits across the island.

That is it. Nada mas. That is all folks.

Obviously, I completely agree that Aruba desperately needs to adjust who we are attracting to the island, and we must focus on tourists who will spend more. The fact that cruise ship passengers spend an average of $130 per day to me is an obvious reason to CUT the number of cruise ships coming here by at least half. The fact that they are hoping to raise that average spend to only $150 is sad. Actually, a sad missed opportunity.

Cruise ship passengers must spend considerably higher amounts than that, to start offsetting the wear and tear cause by their visit. Considering how much cruise passengers spend on UTV tours, proves that an enormous number, the other half, spends almost zero while they are here.

GOA must be honest about the limits of scale and enforce discipline before we have a full-blown crisis. Growth does not mean arrivals, growth means getting more money and exploiting the island less.

List of burning issues:

Detailed Beach Policy – including permits and beach rules.

Strengthening Regulatory Framework — GOA promised to establish an entity responsible for issuing permits especially for alternative accommodations, to ensure tax compliance and more.

Market Restrictions for Substantial Growth — halt construction of new projects, hotels, condominiums, and apartment complexes.

Addressing Security & Social Challenges — Resolve excessive youth loitering in hotel areas,

Minimizing Noise Disturbances for Hotels –Setting limits to night life operators, honking party busses and backfiring caravans of motorcycles.

Solutions for Taxi Shortages.

Sustainability and Environmental Strategies — including AWSS Initiative compliance, and UTV Exit Strategy Implementation:

Road maintenance,

Alternative beach locations for cruise ship passenger.

Labor shortage.

We would like to hear suggestions in the Aruba at a Tourism Crossroads, From Volume to Value, From Growth to Capability, Policy White Paper 2026 – 2031.

Rising Shipping Costs Could Drive Up Food Prices – not just food prices.

A recent notice from shipping company King Ocean Services, announced substantial increases in bunker surcharges on cargo shipments between United States ports and the Caribbean beginning April 12, 2026.

That means that food will get more expensive!