CHATA Annual Report 2017- 2018

MCB Breakfast Meeting
Throughout this year CHATA has been voicing its concerns regarding several matters within the
tourism industry that need urgent attention such as the restructuring of CTDF and a CEO for CTB.
However, sustainable tourism development is dependent on many components both within and
outside of the tourism sector such as a favorable investment climate and regulatory framework.
For this reason, CHATA invited Mr. Daniel Hodge former Chairman of the Curaçao Bankers
Association to provide his insight on the role of banking and the development of our tourism
sector in a CHATA MCB Breakfast Meeting.
According to Mr. Hodge, “Each and everyone on the island holds different but equally important
tools to grow our industry”. The role of the banking sector is to finance solid initiatives to
increase qualified capacity (i.e. rooms) on the island. Furthermore he emphasized that we must
institutionalize the undertaking of tourism related research and the collaboration among the most
relevant partners in order to identify where to target our best efforts in terms of service delivery,
product attractiveness and combatting tourist related crime.
Member Meeting
in 2017, CHATA held several Member Meetings to provide its members with an update of the
industry. Often CHATA also invites keynote speakers to elaborate on trending topics affecting the
industry. 2 of our most remarkable keynote speakers of 2017 include the Honorary Minister of
Economic Development Dr. Steven Martina and Mrs. Ronella Tjin Asjoe–Croes (CEO of ATA). The
Minister spoke about the future of the industry and his commitment to a public private structure
for CTDF and leadership for the organization. Furthermore, he also requested the commitment of
the hospitality industry to take initiatives and invest in the development of the sector.
Mrs. Ronella Tjin Asjoe–Croes provided the audience with an insight into the evolution of the
Aruba Tourism Authority from a government agency to a unique independent legal entity within
the public sphere. Mrs. Tjin Asjoe- Croes shared with the audience that the transformation of ATA
has enabled the organization to become more flexible, effective and pro-active. Furthermore, their
strong collaboration with the private sector has enabled Aruba to maintain its competitive edge
within the Caribbean. Mrs. Ronella Tjin Asjoe- Croes emphasized that Curaçao should not strive
to become like Aruba, but rather should learn from its peers and use the acquired knowledge to
strengthen the unique capabilities of the island.
Curaçao Inclusion Project
CHATA has partnered with the Alton Paas Foundation in order to promote accessibility amongst our
members. The Alton Paas Foundation aims to raise awareness and to work for a better quality of life
for people with spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders in the community of Curaçao.
In 2017 Alton Paas launched the Inclusion Project. The project consisted of an accessibility audit
of all CHATA Member Hotels and Restaurants. The most the most accessible hotel, restaurant and
employer was recognized during the Curaçao Inclusion Award. Avila Beach Hotel was awarded
the most accessible hotel and Nautilus Restaurant was awarded the most accessible restaurant.
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