Tourist information about Aruba
Aruba City Guides at provides you with the latest information found at official Aruba city and Aruba destination websites. The content belongs to the copyrighted company on the bottom of each Aruba city guide. Sevaral Aruba destination information and Aruba city information are owned by itself. Please select a Aruba city from the list below:
Aruba cities, towns, villages and destinations
| Aruba Tourist Information | Eagle Beach Tourist Information | Oranjestad Tourist Information |
| Palm Beach Tourist Information |
Useful information about Aruba
Aruba Background
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Aruba Economy
Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. The government's goal of balancing the budget within two years will hamper expenditures, as will the decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the 11 September terrorist attacks.
