PALM BEACH/ORANJESTAD, APRIL 11 – The fourth and final day of Aruba Meets Europe (AME) 2014 started off with a market place at Renaissance Convention Center, offering all 40 participating tour operators from 11 European countries the opportunity to meet with Aruba’s larger hotels and local destination management companies.
In the evening the group enjoyed a drive on the Kukoo Kunuku party bus, followed by a nightly tram tour through the recently renovated downtown area in Oranjestad, including the capital’s brand new main shopping street and museum district. The tram system was introduced in 2013 in Aruba as a unique way of transportation from the cruise terminal area to downtown. Locals and visitors have free access to the tram and can hop-on and hop-off at various stops.
The tour of Aruba’s upgraded downtown area ended at the historic Fort Zoutman (dated 1798) for a farewell dinner and reception. Tirso Tromp, director of the Aruba Tourism Authority in Europe looked back at a successful 23rd edition of AME. “We attracted representatives from tour operators and airlines from all over Europe of which many were new to Aruba. Looking at the positive numbers in the first quarter of 2014, the steady numbers of Dutch travelers and the potential of growing markets such as Italy and Germany, we can be very optimistic about the remainder of this year and even next year.”
Five exceptional key performers and long-time loyal partners bringing European business to Aruba were honored with the ‘Amigoe/Amiga pa bida Award’ (translated ‘friend for life’) – Jasmina Meulens (KUONI), Mark Boekhoudt (Maduro Travel/ITG), Tony Plummer (Tropical Sky), Wim David (Silverjet Belgium) and Rob Oostendorp (TUI Netherlands).
In addition prizes were handed to social media users using hashtag #ame2014. The winner of the best picture, Harry Rowe of Black Tomato from the UK, received an original painting of local artist Elvis Tromp as a first prize. Fred van Eijk (Travel Counsellors Netherlands & Belgium) won the prize for most tweets and Facebook posts during AME 2014.
The evening at Fort Zoutman concluded with a delicious dinner buffet catered by the Renaissance Aruba Resort and a carnival extravaganza, complete with tropical dancers and a brass band. On Saturday morning April 12 the official AME program ends with a breakfast at Arikok National Park.
