Eagle, Oranjestad.—The Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association, AHATA, is celebrating 40 years in October. It was first established in 1966 as the Aruba Hotel Association. Later, in 1987, in order to broaden the scope of the organization and include more members in tourism related businesses, the name was changed to AHATA, the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association.
Original members, hotelier Ike Cohen and Publisher Rory Arends who are still very active today report that the Cactus Inn, Hotel Nassau, the Coral Strand Hotel and the Aruba Caribbean were the first members to join, they had their eyes on a prosperous future and they understood that tourism will eventually become a major economic pillar for the island.
The seeds of collaboration between the private sector and the public sector were introduced as early as 1966 when Rory Arends at the time Commissionaire of Tourism and a government official joined the board of AHA as commissioner. The hoteliers and the government representatives banded together determined to explore marketing avenues for the island’s emerging hospitality industry.
Incidentally, Arends will later become AHATA’s CEO, and oversee the expansion of its role even further in the 90s. Local hotelier Ike Cohen went on to become the Caribbean Hotel Association’s first recipient of the Golden Conch award, when the regional award was created in 1978.
AHATA’s first modest headquarters were situated in Bubali, at a tiny office fondly referred to as the Bubali Hilton. The office later moved to the administrator’s house. Henk Smouter who served the organization for 13 years, used his private residence as AHATA’s command center.
As the organization continued to grow, it moved into a historic building in Eagle, where it is still operating. The old guard house of the Eagle oil refinery was first rented, then with the help of Caribbean Mercantile Bank, purchased and refurbished to contain the nerve center of hospitality in Aruba, conveniently located just a few steps away from the government’s Aruba Tourism Authority.
Many famous names, movers and shakers of this community, went through an AHATA phase sometime during their illustrious career, some in an executive position – Michael Kuiperi, Anabela Peterson, Adwina Arends, Fritz Israel; some as Association Presidents – Jan de Ruiter, Brian Reeves, Gerrit Griffith, Ed Malone, Hendrick Santos, Eduardo de Veer, Alex Nieuwmeyer and since the end of 2004, Jeff Lesker.
Recent significant changes in AHATA's structure were made by current President & CEO Jorge Pesquera. They were aimed at delivering superb marketing support and membership services, distinguishing AHATA as one of the premiere hotel and tourism associations in the Caribbean.
AHATA now hosts the completely re-organized Aruba Meeting & Convention Bureau, with Vice Presidents Mayline Menendez & Donna Del Gallo, executives Charly Ibbara and Adwina Arends. They are assigned great responsibilities in working a dynamic full time marketing organization, under the leadership of Scott Wiggins, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing for North America and Director of Operations for the Aruba Meetings and Convention Bureau.
In the office Dyane Vis, Nathaly Wouters, Francie Croes and the ever helpful Anky Nucete as well as hotelier Ed Malone, in charge of special projects, do their share in supporting the organization which is now made up of airlines, attractions, banks, car rentals, communication companies, Destination Management Companies, wedding organizers, restaurants, publications besides naturally hotels, resorts and development companies. A total of 81 local members and 8 from overseas.
