In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Jerusha Rasmijn, Director of the MICE Segment for Aruba Tourism Authority.
What is the status of MICE tourism in Aruba currently?
MICE is working very well for us because it already helps us a lot to prepare for the coming years. In the hotels there are bookings for 2026-2027. This creates a balance between leisure and groups that benefits us a lot. Each hotel has its strategy and we want to get that client who has the purchasing power to bring their groups to Aruba.
You participate in both Imex Las Vegas and Imex Frankfurt…
The European market is important, but for us the most relevant is the US. And we participate in both events because we have many clients. We not only get clients from Europe, but also Americans who are coming to Europe especially to serve their groups. There is also good participation from Latin America, and these types of shows are specialized for MICE, so they are key points to get clients who have potential, because to participate here you pass an important filter.
In 2026 and 2027 they already have clients. They are very advanced.
Yes, the group segment is very advanced, especially for North America. They start years before with the search for groups, so we already know what the coming years are like and where we have to focus more. For us and our partners that is very important.
What is the hotel capacity today that allows events to be held?
We can receive groups of approximately 350 people, because we are not a mass destination. The hotel capacity is from 300 rooms to 400 or so. Then the hotel also does not want to fill that 100%, 15% to 20% per group, for them it is enough.
How is the connectivity in Aruba?
It is excellent with Central America and South America with Copa Airlines. We have Avianca with daily flights, 11 flights per week, and Latam Airlines with four flights via Lima, Peru. With Europe we have KLM, with a direct flight via Amsterdam and we have a flight with British Airways from England.
From an infrastructure point of view, are there new projects on the island?
Yes, there are two new projects that are being built that will be finalized by the last months of the year, which are Iberostar and St. Riges by Marriott. And hotels are also doing renovations, like Hilton, which is going to build an additional tower, so it will have more rooms. Hotels are regularly remodeling to stay up-to-date and provide quality, because we are no longer the cheapest island. The visitor pays for quality, service and safety.
Will they be promoting themselves in Latin America?
Of course, we are going to be at Fiexpo, in Panama. And for Latin America, Aruba is offering more opportunities. We have more hotels coming, there are more flights, and we are really very close. It is an easy island to navigate, the people are very friendly, we have an almost perfect climate, in Aruba it is summer all year round and we do not have a rainy season.