ARUBANS IN THE NEWS- Sarah-Quita Offringa was crowned World Champion Women’s Freestyle for the second consecutive year in the Professional Windsurf Association (PWA) Grand Slam Tour 2009 held in Sotavento, Fuerteventura Spain. Sarah-Quita, who just turned 18 on July 4th, remained in Europe, continuing on the Grand Slam Tour circuit to Alcati, Turkey to compete in the slalom event. She is now ranked 13th in the world on the PWA Slalom Tour. For information please visit www.pwaworldtour.com.
- Ten year old Shanayah Howell is setting new records in the competitive BMX bicycle racing worldwide by winning the USA BMX Racing National Championship held in Louisville, Kentucky
RESORTS & APARTMENTS The Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is launching their Gonna get married...... brand new wedding collateral, wedding packages and impressive destination wedding websites in English and Spanish: www.weddings.arubamarriott.com and www.bodas.arubamarriott.com.
The fully renovated Aruba Marriott is also featuring Get your Groove on package donating tickets to the Aruba Music Festival on October 10, 2009 when booking a room at the beachfront resort over the dates of the Music Festival and using code M16 on www.arubamarriott.com. Guest will receive two free tickets to the Earth Wind & Fire concert.
Happy Birthday! September 1st, 2009 marks the first birthday of Tradewinds Club, Aruba Marriott's upscale hotel within a hotel located on the top floor of the resort, offering exclusive assess to a secluded beach area, a private Lounge and unexpected extras such as a pillow menu and free internet. More information on Aruba Marriott's newest and most deluxe amenity is available on www.tradewinds.arubamarriott.com. The Westin Aruba Resort invites couples to prolong the relaxing beach days of summer with the all-inclusive experience, with rates starting at $399 per room (All inclusive), based on double occupancy for travel through December 18, 2009. As an added bonus, couples who book prior to September 30, 2009 will receive a $100 resort credit, which can be used towards activities such as an in-room massage or other spa services. Couples, who during their fall getaway (September 1 – December 19, 2009) can prove they conceived during their stay, will receive a $300 ‘Conception Credit’ towards a return visit to the resort in 2010. For more information please call (297) 586-4466 or visit www.westinaruba.com. The Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa is featuring memorable tropical experiences for the 2009/2010 holiday season. From indulgent treatments at the resort spa to kayaking along the coast in search of sea turtles, the Radisson Aruba offers activities for the whole family. Vacationers traveling to Aruba can stay at the flagship Radisson resort on the island’s best beach from December 18, 2009 - January 3, 2010, with rates beginning at USD $549 per night. Visit www.radisson.com/aruba for more information. Aruba is investing in the future! The construction of the 10 giant wind turbines has begun at Vader Pier, the eastern part of the island. These turbines have a potential to a total of 30 megawatts of renewable energy. The total cost of the project is $90 million and is an investment by the Danish company, VESTAS and WEB Aruba NV. The wind turbines are expected to generate an estimated 18 megawatts total based on the flow of the constant trade winds. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2009.
AIRPORT, AIRLINES & CRUISESHIPS- Thomson Airlines announces additional weekly direct flights from Manchester, UK in May 2010. It will operate the new weekly service to Aruba from Manchester on Fridays from May 7 – October 23, replacing the existing fortnightly service. This flight is in addition to the weekly direct Gatwick service, successfully introduced for summer 2009 and will depart on Saturdays from May 1 – October 23, 2010. The London Gatwick and Manchester flights are available for travelers booking their Aruba holiday with Thomson Faraway Shores, Thomson Platinum Collection, Thomson Weddings, Thomson Chic & Unique, Thomson a La Carte and First Choice Tropical, First Choice Premier and First Choice Wedding brochures. For more information on the new flights and packages or to book online visit www.firstchoice.co.uk/aruba.
- Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) reports continued growth in passenger traffic in July and August. Revenue Generating Passengers (RGP) at AAA is up by 4.5% and the amount of commercial flights increased with 6.2% for July 2009 compared to the same month in 2008. RGP during the month of August 2009 was up by 1.7% whilst the amount of commercial flights decreased by -1.3% compared to the same month in 2008. Interestingly the RGP results for August 2008 were 4.9% higher than August 2007, a record breaking year, making these results the best for the month of August on record at AAA. In addition, August 2009 RGP results clock in second to March 2008 as the largest amount of RGP obtained in a single month. The North American PFC market grew slightly by 0.5% compared to August. The European PFC market grew by a staggering 24.9% compared to August 2008 with Martinair transporting 8.9% more passengers than KLM during the same period in 2008. Flights from the European market grew by 28.3% compared to August 2008 and are mainly attributed to the increase in flights from London Gatwick and Amsterdam.
- The Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) received official word from AirTran Airways that the necessary paperwork with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for non-stop direct service on a weekly basis from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Orlando International Airport to Aruba has been filed. AirTran, using a B737-700 aircraft on both routes configured with 137 seats, expects to start service in December 2009 from Atlanta and February 2010 from Orlando. For more information please contact Mr. Hendrik Croes at the Aruba Airport Authority at (297) 524-2424.
- The Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) has once again received notification of being short listed for the World Routes 2009 Airport Marketing Awards to be presented during the 15th World Route Development Forum in Beijing, China held September 13 – 15, 2009. AAA N.V. has been nominated previously for this award in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, AAA N.V. was highly commended and ended in second place in the category of 1 to 5 million passenger movements per year. This year the categories have been reclassified and AAA N.V. has been nominated within the Americas sharing the honors in this category competing for the award with Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio, Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport in Texas and Halifax International Airport in Canada.
RESTAURANTS & HANGOUTSCILO, City Lounge Aruba is now open at the Renaissance Marketplace. Located at the old “Villa Germania” corner, it is open daily from 7am till 3am, except on Sundays, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with an extended international menu. The restaurant features three wide screens, a superb sound system, terrace couches and parasols with marina view tables. With live resident DJ Jereon every Wednesday from 10pm till 3am and a two for one happy hour every Friday from 5pm till 6pm. For more information please visit www.cilo-aruba.com.
ARTS & CULTUREAfter more than 120 years on exhibit in the Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, The Netherlands and long negotiations, 5 local archaeological artifacts are back in Aruba. They will be on permanent display at the new Archeological Museum of Aruba and can be viewed daily, except on Mondays, 10am till 5pm.Two of these artifacts date back to the ceramic period (900/1000 – 1515) of which the container with the human face has been on exhibit for many years at the entrance of the Ethnological Museum. The other artifact is a figurine, completely hollow on the inside and which was used during ceremonies and rituals. Three gourds, from the historical period (Post 1515), demonstrate the majesty of the decorative art of the inhabitants. For more information please call (297) 5828979 of email archeoadm@hotmail.com or archeo@setarnet.aw.
GENERAL- A few of Aruba’s restaurants, Amazonia Churasscaria, Aqua Grill, El Gaucho Restaurant, Madame Janette, Pago Pago and Sunset Grill, were featured as “The Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers” on Aruba by the Wine Spectator. For more information please visit www.winespectator.com.
September 11, 2009
(Sources: Amigoe di Aruba, BonDia, The News, Aruba Today, hotel/company press releases)
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