Aruba | Resonance
Aruba

A roadmap to elevate culinary offerings and make food a reason to visit the happy island

Aruba is a Caribbean leader in quality restaurants, fine and diverse dining, and residents employed in hospitality. With culinary tourism an increasingly important part of travel decision-making, the Aruba Tourism Association has made culinary tourism a key priority, and engaged Resonance to create a strategic roadmap to make the island’s culinary offerings even more desirable.

Our research showed that while Aruba enjoyed a good culinary reputation, it needed a strategy that differentiated it from competitors. We created detailed personas of food-forward visitors who might consider Aruba.  created three goals to elevate the culinary offering: to make the island the Caribbean capital of culinary diversity, enhancing a key strength; making culinary a proof point of  the Aruba Effect; and creating and communicating immersive experiences. The strategy included clear steps the ATA can take to achieve the goals,  addressing supply, product, programming and buzz. All potential initiatives were mapped according to priority, budget and timeline.

The roadmap proposed four goals, 17 strategies and 32 initiatives, along with the recommended role, whether leadership or support, for the ATA in bringing the strategy to life. An important recommendation was for the ATA and its partners to work more closely together and avoid siloed efforts, making the strategy an all-island, all-in effort. By 2028, Aruba wants visitors to select the island for its food. The culinary strategy will get them there.

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