Aruba Tourism Grows in March 2025 with Boost from South America and Spending Gains

ATA Reports Visitor Increases and Rising Economic Contributions

Aruba continues to demonstrate resilience in its tourism industry, with the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) reporting strong results for March 2025. The month showed notable growth in stay-over arrivals, especially from North and South America, while Tourism Credits and cruise tourism also contributed significantly to the island’s economy.

✈️ Stay-Over Arrivals Up 2.5% Year-to-Date

Between January and March 2025, Aruba welcomed 392,421 stay-over visitors, a 2.5% increase compared to 2024.

🇺🇸 USA: 289,508 visitors (73.8% share)
🇨🇦 Canada: 28,429 visitors, up 3.5%
🇧🇷 Brazil: +116.2%
🇦🇷 Argentina: +76.4%
🇺🇾 Uruguay: +57.2%

These gains reflect successful regional marketing efforts, especially in South America.

🚢 Cruise Sector: Slight Dip, But Still Ahead of Forecast

In March 2025:

100,630 cruise passengers arrived, 3.09% above forecasts,
But a 14.5% decrease vs. March 2024 due to fewer cruise calls (42 ships vs. 46 in 2024)

Despite this, Aruba is on track for 910,174 cruise passengers in 2025, up from 897,274 in 2024.

💵 Economic Impact: Tourism Credits Surge

The Central Bank of Aruba reported:

Afl. 1,178.7 million in Tourism Credits for Q3 2024 (+13% YoY)
Afl. 4,030.9 million for Q1–Q3 2024 (+16% YoY)

Reclassified accounting now includes timeshare maintenance fees under Travel Services, offering a more accurate picture of the sector’s economic value.

🌍 Market Trends & Performance

🇺🇸 USA: Slight dip in March (-0.1%), strong overall YTD
🇨🇦 Canada: +14.4% in March
🇧🇷 Brazil: +142.8% in March
🇦🇷 Argentina: +71.4% in March
🇳🇱 Netherlands: +11.1% in March
🇬🇧🇩🇪 UK & Germany: Double-digit declines

📊 Strategic Outlook for 2025

Focus on U.S. & Canadian markets through digital campaigns and partnerships
Continued South American growth through targeted promotions
Cruise and timeshare reforms improving transparency and planning

🔚 Conclusion

March 2025 data confirms positive momentum for Aruba’s tourism sector, with growing visitor numbers, higher spending, and expanding regional influence. While European markets and cruise traffic show room for recovery, Aruba’s strategic approach and diversified market engagement are driving long-term success.

Photo credits :https://arubaonline.news/aruba-tourism-growth-march-2025/