Executive Summary

Aruba's tourism governance is fragmented, slowing sustainability progress. Global best practices show that trust-based collaboration works. A Destination Stewardship Council (DSC-Aruba) can unify tourism, environment, and community priorities. A three-phase roadmap makes this achievable within three years.

The Governance Gap

At first glance, the ATA Corporate Plan 2025 looks comprehensive: eight sustainability focus points, a partnership with CEDE Aruba, and a commitment to High-Value, Low-Impact (HVLI) growth. Yet beneath that vision lies a familiar challenge: no single table where tourism's social, economic, and environmental dimensions meet.

Responsibilities are spread among ATA (Marketing & Research), DEACI (Economic & Investment Planning), DNM (Environmental Management), and several ministries — resulting in overlaps, delays, and blurred accountability.

"Everyone wants sustainable tourism — however no one is clearly in charge of delivering it." — Senior policymaker

From Management to Stewardship

Research consistently shows that institutional design determines whether sustainability becomes real or remains rhetorical:

  • Stewardship Theory (Davis et al., 1997): Actors act in the collective interest when trust replaces control. This underpins the call for a DSC that fosters shared responsibility rather than siloed mandates.
  • Collaborative Governance (Bramwell & Lane, 2011): Sustainability emerges when decision-making is shared across sectors. Without formal mechanisms, coordination depends on personal relationships — a fragile foundation.
  • Polycentric Governance (Ostrom, 2010): Multiple decision centers can coexist effectively if connected by clear rules, monitoring, and communication. Aruba's current system lacks these connective tissues.
  • Trust-Based Alignment (Salomonsen et al., 2024): Ministries perform better when coordination relies on collaboration rather than control.
  • Community-Based Tourism (Murphy, 1985): Local participation creates legitimacy and resilience.

The Cost of Fragmentation

  • Duplicated initiatives — sustainability, marketing, and investment projects without alignment.
  • Conflicting KPIs — one agency focuses on arrivals while another manages limits of acceptable change.
  • Decision bottlenecks — data and permits get stuck between agencies.
  • Short political cycles — coordination resets every few years.

These challenges don't stem from bad actors — but from systems designed for growth, not stewardship.

Lessons from Elsewhere

  • Balearic Islands (Spain): A Sustainable Tourism Tax funds projects overseen by a multi-stakeholder council.
  • Malta: An Inter-Ministerial Tourism Observatory publishes quarterly sustainability metrics.
  • Hawaii: Proposed a Stewardship Liaison to coordinate agencies and community councils.
  • Nordic Destinations: Apply community-based stewardship where residents co-manage trails and natural assets.
  • Costa Rica: The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) links hotel ratings to verified impact.

A Blueprint for Aruba: The Destination Stewardship Council

Purpose

Unite Aruba's tourism, environmental, and community priorities under one adaptive framework.

Structure

  • Co-Chairs: Ministry of Tourism & ATA
  • Core Members: DEACI, DNM, Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality Association, NGOs, and Community Representatives
  • Observers: Academia, CEDE Aruba, Central Bank

Mandate

  • Integrate data across sectors and maintain a Tourism Impact Dashboard.
  • Approve unified sustainability KPIs (economic, social, ecological).
  • Review major projects for alignment with High-Value, Low-Impact goals.
  • Publish an annual State of Tourism Impact Report.

Governance Principles

  • Transparency: All metrics and minutes public.
  • Participation: At least one-third community and NGO representation.
  • Adaptivity: Annual review cycle with data feedback.
  • Trust-Building: Joint workshops and shared metrics to overcome institutional silos.

What the Tourism Impact Dashboard Tracks

The dashboard consolidates data from ATA, DEACI, DNM, CBS, and community organizations — aligned with the OECD (2025) Toolkit for Sustainable Tourism Indicators across four pillars:

  • Pillar A — Economic Prosperity: Spend per visitor, local value capture, yield vs. volume metrics.
  • Pillar B — Social Well-being: Resident sentiment, housing affordability, workforce inclusion.
  • Pillar C — Environmental Sustainability: Reef health, freshwater use, energy consumption, waste.
  • Pillar D — Governance & Resilience: Transparency, participation rates, adaptive capacity.

A Three-Phase Roadmap

  • Phase 1 — Foundation (0–1 year): Form an interim working group, map data sources, and draft membership charter.
  • Phase 2 — Integration (1–3 years): Launch the Tourism Impact Dashboard, align KPIs, and pilot community co-management at two sites.
  • Phase 3 — Institutionalization (3+ years): Enact the DSC mandate by executive decree, publish annual impact reports, and link fiscal incentives to verified performance.

Why It Matters

Tourism governance reform isn't bureaucracy — it's risk management for Aruba's future. Without it, sustainability stays vulnerable to political shifts and market pressures. With it, Aruba can protect natural capital, strengthen resident trust, enhance investor confidence, and lead the Caribbean in destination stewardship.

Governance done well becomes sustainability made durable. If not now, when? And if not us, who?

What do you think — is Aruba ready for a Destination Stewardship Council?

References

Aruba Tourism Authority. (2025). Corporate Plan 2025.

Bramwell, B. and Lane, B. (2011). Critical research on the governance of tourism and sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(4–5), 411–421.

CREST & Tourism Cares. (2023). Ten steps to kickstart your destination stewardship journey.

Davis, J.H., Schoorman, F.D. and Donaldson, L. (1997). Toward a stewardship theory of management. Academy of Management Review, 22(1), 20–47.

Hall, C.M. (2011). Policy learning and reflexive governance in tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(4–5), 477–494.

Murphy, P.E. (1985). Tourism: A community approach. Routledge.

OECD. (2025). Strengthening the evidence base for a sustainable tourism future in Malta.

Ostrom, E. (2010). Beyond markets and states: Polycentric governance of complex economic systems. American Economic Review, 100(3), 641–672.

Salomonsen, H.H., Schillemans, T. and Brummel, L. (2024). Aligning the steering of governmental organizations. Public Management Review, 26(11), 3320–3341.

Swanson, K. (2022). Addressing the wicked problem of destination stewardship. Tourism Planning & Development, 19(7), 865–880.

Torfing, J., Ansell, C. and Sorensen, E. (2020). Stewardship theory and public value governance. Administrative Sciences, 10(4), 86.

UNEP & GSTC. (2019). Guidelines for destination stewardship and sustainable tourism management.