Who's in Charge? Fixing Fragmented Tourism Governance in Aruba

Executive Summary

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

Key Takeaways

• ●Aruba's sustainability vision is strong, but governance remains fragmented.
• ●True destination stewardship means shared guardianship — not competing mandates.
• ●Cross-sector councils and shared data create accountability and trust.
• ●The proposed DSC-Aruba can align tourism, environment, and community priorities under one adaptive system.

The Governance Gap

At first glance, the Aruba Tourism Authority (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.

As one senior policymaker observed privately, "Everyone wants sustainable tourism, however no one is clearly in charge of delivering it."

To be fair, several cross-sector working groups already exist. These efforts show genuine intent but remain project-based rather than institutionalized. Murphy (1985) argued decades ago that community-based tourism is key to legitimacy and resilience, principles still relevant for Aruba.

From Management to Stewardship

Tourism sustainability is not just about policies; it's about the governance structures that make those policies work. Research consistently shows that institutional design determines whether sustainability becomes real or remains rhetorical.

• ●Stewardship Theory (Davis et al., 1997) argues that actors act in the collective interest when trust replaces control. This principle underpins the call for a Destination Stewardship Council that fosters shared responsibility rather than siloed mandates.
• ●Collaborative Governance (Bramwell & Lane, 2011) emphasizes that sustainability emerges when decision-making is shared across sectors. Without formal mechanisms for collaboration, coordination depends on personal relationships, a fragile foundation.
• ●Polycentric Governance (Ostrom, 2010) demonstrates that 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) shows that ministries perform better when coordination relies on collaboration rather than control.
• ●Community-Based Tourism (Murphy, 1985) research highlights that local participation creates legitimacy and resilience, while De Falco & Renzi (2007) stress the need to balance agency and stewardship models to avoid bureaucratic gridlock.
• ●Reflexive Governance (Hall, 2011) and Wicked Problem Theory (Swanson, 2022) remind us that tourism governance is complex and adaptive requiring continuous learning and stakeholder engagement.
• ●Finally, Public Value Governance (Torfing et al., 2020) links stewardship to transparency and collaborative innovation, reinforcing why Aruba needs a governance model that institutionalizes trust and shared accountability.

The Cost of Fragmentation

Fragmentation creates familiar patterns:

• ●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. Shows how fiscal tools can fund sustainability when managed collaboratively.
• ●Malta: An Inter-Ministerial Tourism Observatory publishes quarterly sustainability metrics. Demonstrates how consistent reporting keeps stakeholders aligned.
• ●Hawaii: Proposed a Stewardship Liaison to coordinate agencies and community councils. Illustrates the value of a permanent facilitator role.
• ●Nordic Destinations: Apply community-based stewardship where residents co-manage trails and natural assets. Proves that local ownership builds trust and long-term care.
• ●Costa Rica: The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) links hotel ratings to verified impact. Shows how incentives can embed sustainability into business models.

Each case transforms sustainability from aspiration to institutionalized collaboration. As Swanson (2022) notes, destination stewardship is a "wicked problem" requiring adaptive, multi-actor solutions.

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

Representation & Selection

Community and NGO members would be nominated through open calls coordinated by CEDE Aruba, ensuring geographic, gender, and sectoral balance. Rotating terms and transparent criteria would maintain legitimacy and inclusivity.

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 (HVLI) 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 Tourism Impact Dashboard will serve as Aruba's unified evidence base — consolidating data from the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA), Department of Economic Affairs (DEACI), Department of Nature and Environment (DNM), Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), and community organizations.

Aligned with the OECD (2025) Toolkit for Sustainable Tourism Indicators, the dashboard organizes its metrics across four interconnected pillars: Economic Prosperity, Social Well-being, Environmental Sustainability, and Governance & Resilience.

Pillar A | Economic Prosperity

Tracks how tourism supports inclusive and value-based economic growth. Indicators will measure whether Aruba's economy is shifting from volume to value in line with the High-Value, Low-Impact (HVLI) model.

Pillar B | Social Well-being

Assesses tourism's influence on the quality of life for residents and workforce inclusion. This pillar integrates community perception and social equity into tourism planning.

Pillar C | Environmental Sustainability

Evaluates tourism's ecological footprint and its interaction with Aruba's natural capital. Indicators draw on environmental monitoring data and align with the OECD's resource efficiency and ecosystem health metrics.

Pillar D | Governance & Resilience

Assesses how effectively institutions coordinate and respond to change. These indicators measure transparency, adaptability, and trust within the tourism governance system.

How It Works

Each indicator contributes to the Tourism Impact Dashboard, which visualizes data trends and identifies early warning signals. The Destination Stewardship Council (DSC-Aruba) will review these metrics quarterly, ensuring that evidence continuously informs decision-making.

This OECD-aligned structure allows Aruba to move from fragmented data reporting to a coherent, internationally benchmarked sustainability system — a foundation for adaptive governance and long-term resilience.

Implementing Stewardship: A Three-Phase Roadmap

Inspired by global guidance such as CREST & Tourism Cares (2023), this roadmap provides a practical path to institutionalized stewardship.

• ●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.

Each phase builds learning and trust; the essence of stewardship.

OECD Alignment: Strengthening the Evidence Base

The three-phase roadmap for DSC-Aruba mirrors the OECD's recommended approach for building evidence-based tourism governance (OECD, 2025. Strengthening the Evidence Base for a Sustainable Tourism Future in Malta).

• ●Phase 1 | Foundation: Establishes a comprehensive baseline across the OECD's four pillars: economic, social, environmental, and governance.
• ●Phase 2 | Integration: Creates a shared Tourism Impact Dashboard connecting all agencies through a unified data system.
• ●Phase 3 | Institutionalization: Formalizes the Destination Stewardship Council (DSC-Aruba) as the coordinating mechanism for data-driven policy and annual sustainability reporting.

This alignment ensures Aruba's stewardship model evolves on solid evidence, allowing data to inform policy, and policy to improve data in a continuous feedback loop.

"A robust evidence base allows governments to understand trade-offs between tourism growth, community well-being, and environmental limits, and to build policies that balance them.", OECD (2025).

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.
• ●Lead the Caribbean in destination stewardship.

By aligning with the OECD's sustainability indicator framework, Aruba can move from fragmented reporting to an integrated, evidence-based system. This shift transforms tourism governance into a living, adaptive process — one that measures impact, learns continuously, and strengthens public trust.

In doing so, Aruba positions itself not only as a Caribbean leader in destination stewardship but also as an OECD-aligned model for small island sustainability governance.

The time to act is now. Within the next quarter, the Ministry of Tourism and ATA can convene a multi-sector task force to draft the DSC-Aruba charter. This first working group should define membership, metrics, and pilot initiatives laying the foundation for institutionalized stewardship by 2026.

References

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

Bramwell, B., & 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., & Donaldson, L. (1997). Toward a stewardship theory of management. Academy of Management Review, 22(1), 20–47.

De Falco, S., & Renzi, A. (2007). Agency vs. stewardship theory in tourism management. Tourism Management Studies, 3(1), 57–66.

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. OECD Tourism Papers.

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., & 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., & 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. United Nations Environment Programme and Global Sustainable Tourism Council.