The “Aruba Tourism Summit 2012: Winning the Future” featured researchers from Rosen College’s Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies (DPI).
The DPI was commissioned by Aruba’s Minister of Tourism, Mr. Otmar Oduber, to formulate a ten-year tourism strategic plan for the island.
The summit, held in Aruba Dec. 8 and 9, featured keynote speaker Dr. Robertico Croes, the Interim Chair of Rosen College’s Tourism Events and Attractions department and the Associate Dean of the DPI. Dr. Croes shared the initial results from a year-long study entitled, “Strategic Plan for the Development of Tourism in Aruba in the 21st Century.”
The research team included Rosen College Dean Dr. Abraham Pizam, Dr. Manuel Rivera, and Ph.D. students Jenna Lee and Eric Olson. In addition to the paper presentation, Drs. Croes and Rivera lead break-out sessions.
Additional speakers at the event included: Otmar Oduber, Minister of Tourism, Transport & Labor; Carlos Vogler, Regional Director for the Americas of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Greg Richards, Professor of Leisure Studies at Tilburg University; and John Checkett, Director of Route Planning for JetBlue.