[shebacal]

Maybe to make sure the well is never searched during his lifetime?

Absolutely. He can never sell his house, unless he sells it to Jan VDS or other crony.

[gg188]

Absolutely. He can never sell his house, unless he sells it to Jan VDS or other crony.

If that house could be bought by some wealthy contributor(s) to Beth's cause, the well, cistern, and any fresh concrete or whatever could be dug up...

[shebacal]

Here comes the spin. This is what Aruba calls 'a good tourism month for July, 2005 compared to July, 2004 - an increase of 0.04 percent. But, even that is not true.

This report claims 49,413 Americans in July 2005, and compares it to 49,362 Americans in July 2004, claiming an increase of 0.1 percent. The true rate in July, 2004 for Americans was 50,217, which comes out to a decrease for July, 2005. (from Table 10 of Central Bank of Aruba report)

www.aruba-bb.com/
Posted by Eddy: Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:03 pm
July 2005 Overall A Good Tourism Month For Aruba

January 9th 2006, Aruba.

ORANJESTAD-Aruba welcomed 69,959 stay-over arrivals in July 2005 in comparison to 69,930 stay-over arrivals in July 2004, an increase of 0.04 percent or flat growth. Visitors spent 565,472 nights on the island in July 2005 in comparison to 548,548 nights in July 2004, a moderate increase of 3.1 percent. The average hotel occupancy rate stood at 86 percent in July 2005 in comparison to 82.4 percent in July 2004, an increase of 3.6 percentage points.

For the first 7 months of 2005 a total of 453,875 stay-over visitors were welcomed on the island in comparison to 425,172 arrivals in the same period for 2004, an increase of 6.8 percent.

USA

Aruba welcomed 49,413 Americans in July 2005 in comparison to 49,362 (true figure: 50,217) Americans in July 2004, an increase of 0.1 percent. For the first 7 months of 2005 Aruba welcomed 257,848 Americans in comparison to 234,423 Americans in the same period for 2004, an increase of 10 percent.

Particularly the Northeastern states have done well in generating visitors for the island. Stay-over arrivals from the U.S. Northeast region grew by 3 percent in July 2005 in comparison to July 2004. Of the amount of U.S. arrivals on the island in July 2005 a good 47 percent are from the
Northeast region.

Arrivals from Connecticut are up by 0.8 percent to 1,786 arrivals in July 2005, Maine up by 28.3 percent to 118 arrivals, Massachusetts up by 17.6 percent to 5,049 arrivals, New Hampshire up by 12.6 percent to 535 arrivals, New Jersey up by 3.2 percent to 6,805 arrivals, New York
down by 3.8 percent to 8,320 arrivals, Rhode Island down by 7.5 percent to 495 arrivals and Vermont down by 36.7 percent to 38 arrivals.

Arrivals from the Mid-Atlantic region fell by 0.5 percent in July 2005 in comparison to the same month in 2004. The two most important Mid-Atlantic states for Aruba are Pennsylvania and Maryland. Arrivals from Pennsylvania fell by 1.2 percent in July, 2005 to 4,380 visitors. Maryland generated 0.8 percent more arrivals to 1,940 visitors in July 2005.

The U.S. Midwest is the region with the sharpest decline in arrivals for Aruba in July 2005. Arrivals from the Midwest declined by 7.7 percent to 5,714 visitors.

Three important Midwest states for the island are Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. Aruba welcomed 1,920 arrivals from Illinois an increase of 17.6 percent. Arrivals from Michigan fell by 28.8 percent to 596 visitors and arrivals from Ohio fell by 17.1 percent to 1,375 visitors.

The Southeast region generated 8,672 visitors for Aruba in July 2005, a decline of 1.9 percent in comparison to July 2004. Arrivals from Florida rose by 7.4 percent to 2,697 visitors in July 2005, Georgia fell by 18.3 percent to 1,557 arrivals, North Carolina fell by 6.7 percent to 1,088 arrivals, Virginia is up by 6.7 percent to 1,743 arrivals.

Remarkable is the growth from South Carolina up 28.9 percent to 602 arrivals and Mississippi up 28.8 percent to 103 arrivals. Alabama the home state of the missing teen Natalee Holloway showed a decline of 25.6 percent to 206 arrivals in July 2005.

The Western region of the U.S. generated 5,059 arrivals for Aruba in July 2005, an increase of 0.9 percent. California fell by 6.1 percent to 1,652 arrivals and Texas rose by 0.8 percent to 1,995 arrivals.

SOUTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

South American generating markets showed mixed results for July 2005. Venezuela the second most important generating market for Aruba fell by 9.6 percent to 4,870 arrivals. Colombia fell by 8.6 percent to 1,318 arrivals. Aruba welcomed 888 Brazilians in July 2005 in comparison to
594 Brazilians in July 2004, an increase of 49.5 percent. Arrivals from the neighboring island of Curacao fell by 29.1 percent to 1,741 visitors.

EUROPE

Overall there is substantial growth from European generating markets for Aruba. The Dutch market grew by 13.3 percent. Aruba welcomed 4,608 arrivals from The Netherlands in July 2005 in comparison to 4,069 arrivals in July 2004. Germany is up by 48.6 percent to 205 arrivals, Belgium up by 23.6 percent to 241 arrivals, Italy up by 21.4 percent to 125 arrivals, Austria up by 21.7 percent to 45 arrivals and the UK down by 25 percent to 809 arrivals.

Remarkable is the continuous boom in arrivals from Scandinavian countries. Arrivals from Denmark are up by 520 percent to 62 visitors in July 2005, Finland up by 163 percent to 42 arrivals and Sweden up by 152.1 percent to 184 arrivals. Norway lost its growth steam, 44 Norwegians arrived on the island in July 2005, down by 8.3 percent.