Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : ARUBA singing REVIVAL song - by Linda Hutchinson

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ARUBA singing REVIVAL song - by Linda Hutchinson

Badly dented by the disappearance of American teenager Natalie Holloway in 2005, Aruba is rising a wave of Spanish investors in its tourism sector, with the number of arrivals to the island rising. With efforts aimed at revitalising its tourism-based economy after suffering a six percent decline in arrivals in 2006 due to a bruising negative travel campaign surrounding the Holloway tragedy, the Dutch Caribbean island is opening its doors to Spanish investors in hotels and resorts. Last May, Occidental opened its Occidental Grand Aruba as the island’s first luxury all-inclusive resort in which they pumped over US$24M. Spanish hotel chain, RIU Aruba Grand, recently purchased the Aruba Grand which is currently undergoing a US$120M face-lift and expansion. When completed, the hotel will open with 451 rooms, nearly tripling the original 170 rooms.

Spanish resort giant, Sol Melia is also finalising the purchase of the 153-room Bushiri Beach resort and has plans to expand the property to 450 rooms.