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Welcome to the
Visit Aruba Newsletter!
This section will be updated regularly, so keep coming back...
News
Briefs for March 1-31, 2000
- Cruise terminal also
celebrating Aruba's National Anthem and Flag day
In connection with the entertainment program, the cruise terminal is also
celebrating Aruba's National Anthem and Flag day on March 18th, 2000
- ATCA 2000: Helping to
create better packages from N.A. to Aruba
Hailing from different cities throughout North
America, about 75 different tour operators and airlines (representatives from American,
Air Aruba, Delta, TWA and Continental) will be participating in the Annual Tourism
Conference Aruba (ATCA), to be held this year March 22 –25, 2000.
- CATA 2000:
Aruba offers a warm “bienvenido”
During the “Conferencia Anual de Turismo de Aruba” (CATA), Aruba will welcome
representatives from Latin America on May 24, 2000.
- AME 2000: Europe has another
opportunity to discover Aruba
After a successful re-introduction of the event last year, ATA will once again
organize its “Aruba meets Europe” event, April 3 – 6, 2000.
- Aruba & The Arts
Even as the island enjoys such cultural traditions as Carnival, Aruba is also featuring
numerous new museum exhibits, art expositions and an upcoming classical guitar concert.
- What’s new
on Aruba
New restaurants: Hostaria da Vittorio and Bistrot le Gourmet
New island hang-outs
New
appointments:
Horace Hord, a former high-ranking executive of American Airlines, was recently named the
new CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA).
Local athlete trains for transatlantic
Windsurf Race 2000
By sailing everyday and continuously practicing windsurfing runs from the hotel
section by the northwestern tip to San Nicolas on the island’s southern tip, Alberto
“Negro” Benitez hopes to be ready to compete and place in the transatlantic
Windsurf Race, Portugal – Canaries –Brazil, on March 9, 2000
Sonesta celebrates a successful
10 years
Congratulations to Sonesta Hotel
management and staff on the resort’s 10th anniversary in Aruba.
An
olive tree grows in Aruba
The management of the Butterfly Farm Aruba recently held a tree-planting ceremony to
commemorate its association with various groups.
An
old friend of Aruba becomes island’s new representative of France
Christian Mongellaz, president of the Aruba Gastronomic Association and owner
of La Bouillabaisse Restaurant, was recently
appointed the honorary consul of France.
Cruise
terminal also celebrating Aruba's National Anthem and Flag day
In connection with the entertainment
program, the cruise terminal is also celebrating Aruba's
National Anthem and Flag day on March 18th, 2000. From 11 A.M. - 2 P.M. there will be
a special presentation by the dance group "Pierewietje" accompanied by
"Tipico los Amigos" who recently launched a new CD especially dedicated to
Aruba. The presentation will be held in the arrival hall.
For this occasion all passengers of the
Sunbird, Jubilee and Crown Dynasty cruise ships will have the unique opportunity to savor
typical Aruban sweets like "Tert", "Cocada", "Ponche Crema",
"Coecoei" and learn a little more about Aruba's culture and typical music.
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ATCA 2000: Helping to create better packages from N.A. to Aruba
Hailing from different cities throughout North America,
about 75 different tour operators and airlines (representatives from American, Air Aruba,
Delta, TWA and Continental) will be participating in the Annual Tourism Conference Aruba
(ATCA), to be held this year March 22 –25, 2000. Also participating will be
about 75 local participants, including suppliers, press and Aruba Tourism Authority
representatives
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CATA 2000:
Aruba offers a warm “bienvenido”
During the “Conferencia Anual de Turismo de
Aruba” (CATA), Aruba will welcome representatives from Latin America on May 24, 2000.
A full schedule of events through May 26, 2000 will entail presentations on Aruba’s
nightlife, dive options and incentive travel possibilities. Individual operators from
different countries, mainly from Colombia and Venezuela, will be able to add their own
voice on how they would like to create the perfect Aruba getaway during brainstorming
sessions and individual meetings. CATA will also provide an opportunity for operators to
gain first hand knowledge of the island by participating in a hotel bar hopping tour and
by taking advantage of the dine around program of the Aruba Gastronomic Association.
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AME 2000: Europe has another opportunity to discover Aruba
After a successful re-introduction of the event last year, ATA will once again organize
its “Aruba meets Europe” event, April 3 – 6, 2000. Various tour
operators, including companies from the U.K. who have just recently begun to sell the
island, will take advantage of the various sessions including a marketplace event, working
together with ATA and its partners to discover how best to create packages to the island
from various countries in Europe.
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Aruba & The Arts
Even as the island enjoys such cultural
traditions as Carnival,
Aruba is also featuring numerous new museum exhibits, art expositions and an upcoming
classical guitar concert.
At the Aruba Archaeological Museum:
A more than 700-year-old “skalchi” (bowl) is the museum’s “object of
the month” for February. As part of a new program, museum officials put together a
special display each month, choosing one object of great archaeological significance from
its permanent collection.
The fine ceramic bowl currently on display was found on the Southwest coast of Aruba at
Savaneta, one of the five main Indian villages that were established on Aruba. Its design,
decorated with a depiction of a frog and accompanied by various circles, triangles and
lines, is typical of the high period of Caiquetio Indian ceramic arts. It was most likely
used for ceremonial purposes between 1100 and 1350 AD.
Indian artifacts, dating back to the first Indian population to have inhabited the island
in about 2000 BC, can be found at the museum. The Archaeological Museum of Aruba is
located at J.E. Irausquin Plein 2A, in Oranjestad, and is open to the public 9 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
Upcoming at the “Cas di
Cultura” Theater:
A concert by two classical guitarists, world-renowned Venezuelan guitarist Luis Quintero
and Aruba’s own Ivan Jansen, will take place April 7, at the Cas di Cultura,
Vondellaan 2, Oranjestad, Tel: (297) 821010.
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What’s new
on Aruba
New restaurants:
Hostaria da Vittorio
House in a typical Aruban “cunucu” house, Hostaria da Vittorio is anything but
ordinary. The island’s newest Italian restaurant, bordered by L.G. Smith to its north
and the Hyatt to its south, is bathed in warm colors and features rustic furnishings,
which lend the restaurant a simple elegance. Chef and owner Vittorio Muscariello, who is
best known for his display of fine culinary arts at Faro Blanco, has created a tempting
new menu for his own venture, offering a diverse collection of fine Italian foods. Unique
features of the restaurant include an open kitchen, into which diners can appreciate the
workings of the chefs, and a soon to be added gourmet shop featuring premier pastas,
cheeses and wines. The restaurant offers both indoor and on the terrace dining.
Bistrot le Gourmet
Aruba recently welcomed a new French restaurant to the island. Bistrot Le Gourmet, found
on Palm Beach Road, in the strip mall between Wendy’s and the Stop ‘n Shop Mini
Market. The restaurant offers a cozy environment in which to enjoy a variety of fine
French foods.
New island hang-outs:
Choose-a-name, located at the end of mainstreet in downtown Oranjestad, invites guests to
feel at home. Friday happy hours are particularly busy, with local businesspeople enjoying
the terrace bar, tastefully designed of lightwoods and equipped with thin-screen T.V.
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top
New
appointments:
Horace Hord, a former high-ranking executive of American Airlines, was recently named the
new CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA). Equipped with a strong
marketing background and a forward-thinking mentality, Hord looks forward to helping
maintain the island as a prime vacation destination for the benefit of AHATA-member hotels
and the full complement of AHATA allied members, associate members and supporting member
companies as well as the island in general. During a recent press luncheon, Hord expressed
his desire to maintain the close relationship AHATA has always shared with ATA in working
towards their mutual goals.
Horace Hord replaces Rory Arends who chose to down to step down from the his position
after 10 years of service and 35 years of dedication to Aruba’s tourism industry.
Having already met with several government departments, Hord will officially assume his
new position at AHATA as of March 1, 2000.
Abdel Zouari, was recently appointed by Allegro Resorts as the new GM of its all-inclusive
Aruba property, taking over for Alain Tiphaine who has left the island for a position in
Puerto Rico.
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Local
athlete trains for transatlantic Windsurf Race 2000
By sailing everyday and continuously practicing windsurfing runs from the hotel
section by the northwestern tip to San Nicolas on the island’s southern tip, Alberto
“Negro” Benitez hopes to be ready to compete and place in the transatlantic
Windsurf Race, Portugal – Canaries –Brazil, on March 9, 2000.
Benitez, a Venezuelan now residing in Aruba, has competed in
various Aruba Hi-Winds competitions and in Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA)
events in Hawaii and the Dominican Republic, is now looking forward to what he describes
as his biggest challenge to date.
The 20-day race, with individual
sailors teamed to compete in 4-hour race days, will be broadcast on various stations,
worldwide on ESPN, by Fox Sports for Latin America and the U.S., Eurosport for the
Netherlands and Sky Ports for the U.K.
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Sonesta
celebrates a successful 10 years
Congratulations to Sonesta Hotel
management and staff on the resort’s 10th anniversary in Aruba. During its 10 years
in Aruba, the Sonesta Hotel has grown from a 300-room resort, employing 300 workers to its
current status as a 557-room resort (together with the Sonesta Suites), employing 480
employees, and featuring Crystal Casino (one of the island’s largest and most
luxurious casinos), the Stardust Theater (home of Hot Tickets) and the upscale
L’Escale Restaurant as well as the beach playground of Sonesta Island, the Seaport
Cinemas, the shopping paradise of Seaport Mall and Seaport Marketplace and the
state-of-the-art facilities of the Seaport Conference Center. A recent upgrade to
Sonesta Hotel, inside and out, was recently performed, proving that Sonesta is only
looking forward in its continuous quest for improvement.
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An olive
tree grows in Aruba
The management of the Butterfly Farm Aruba recently held a tree-planting ceremony to
commemorate its association with various groups. Holland American Lines was one of the
honorees that the Butterfly Farm recognized as being one of the first cruise lines to
formally offer tours to the Butterfly Farm to its passengers.
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An old
friend of Aruba becomes island’s new representative of France
Christian Mongellaz, president of the Aruba Gastronomic Association and owner
of La Bouillabaisse Restaurant, was recently
appointed the honorary consul of France. He officially received the assignment form Madame
Marie-Claire Khazal, general consul of France in Amsterdam during a ceremony held in the
courtyard of Aruba’s Instituto di Cultura building.
Mongellaz, a native of France, has been a resident of Aruba for 19 years. He looks forward
to his new island assignment in helping to bring the communities of France and Aruba a
little closer together.
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As a cardmember you will receive your personalized VisitAruba Plus
card. Present your card at participating locations to take advantage of discounts and
special offers. The 2000 card is valid for UNLIMITED USE until December 1st, 2000. For
more details and ordering, see the VisitAruba Plus section.
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Back to latest News
Selected News courtesy of ATA Newsletter
Editor: Doreen Boekhoudt
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