Your current Caribbean Island infrastructure is a product of your aspiration

During our latest marketing meetings we have been discussing the current state of our Islands infrastructure and how this affects tourism. More and more we have been getting reactions from tourists that our Island is losing its identity and becoming a destination just like everything else. We have the same architecture, the same franchises etc.

The internationalization (Americanization) of our Island can be considered both a good thing and a bad thing. Some people don’t like to find things they can find back home and others appreciate the comforts provided that are “just like home”. Fact is, we can’t change what we are right now. Problem is that we could end up in a “blame game” pointing fingers at who is at fault for letting our infrastructure develop into what we have now.

English: Logo for Esso (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In my opinion we are all responsible for our Islands infrastructure, design , look, feel and development. As a small Island we have been influenced strongly by neighboring countries and cultures. Especially the U.S.A. This is mainly the result of Aruba housing one of the largest oil refineries in the Region from the 1920’s to the mid 80’s. This refinery was run by Esso, a large US corporation. Esso invested large amounts of money into the Island and trained most of its local workers. They even built a colony for its expats which was a copy of what they had back home. These factors determined the aspirational benchmark for locals. This went on even after the refinery lost its importance and during my youth in the late 80’s through the nineties.

The point I am trying to make is that we were looking at the US as a target. A target for how we wanted to design our world (Island).  Whatever we saw on TV or in the movies, was something to aspire to and all local things became inferior or not worth it (in our minds). I remember when I was a little kid, we would rent videos that were just cartoons that were recorded via Satellite dish TV (by the few people who had one).  These videos included the commercials, mostly of toys. And our desire for these  toys grew and all the American brands such as Mattel, Hot wheels, Tonka and Fisher Price became “wannahaves”.  The same happened to our parents and ourselves when we turned adults. At some point I remember how proud we were to be able to tell a tourist that we have all the popular American fast food chains on the Island. This made us modern, and we felt that we were part of the developed world. We aspired to be like the US, and we made sure that our Island was developed in just that way.  

Currently a trend in tourism is “authenticity” and culture. Tourists want to escape what they have at home and experience new things and exotic cultures and locations. This puts us in a slight disadvantage, as we have been building and designing our Island to be a kind of copy of Miami.

Funny thing is that through social media I am seeing that especially my generation (30 -40 yrs.) is longing for originality, typical Aruban Nature, architecture, products etc. And we are all now complaining about the “Americanization” of our Island. Point is, we al wanted to be like that…..so we have only ourselves to blame. And yes, I mean you, all of my fellow Islanders who used to be brand conscious, and behaved like we were in a perpetual “saved by the bell” kinda world or teens wearing sporting goods of US teams that we have never heard of or seen playing and as if we were walking the streets of New York. Did we not all want to go shopping once a year at all the Malls in Florida? Well, that’s how we ended up with an Americanized Island.

So we should stop complaining and make sure that if we are now into different things, such as local criollo and typical things, we just have to do it. Restore your grandparents cunucu houses instead of building something new, Start making pan bati instead of driving to Wendy’s drive through. Have a beer at your local rum shop instead of going to South Beach. Teach your kids to play marbles (kiniki) instead of taking them to watch  cars, Toy story etc.

We are all responsible for what and where we are now. If we want to change…..we just have to be that change.