group. It started, basically, as a voice for business in Aruba at a time when not everybody had access to the government. Throughout the years, ATIA also started partnering with other organizations in the Caribbean. “Today, ATIA is the longest standing employers’ organization in Aruba and the only employers’ organization on the island that is officially recognized by the ILO (International Labour Association) and the IOE (International Organization of Employers). We’re also part of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) based in Trinidad and Tobago. “In 2020, ATIA’s Director at the time, decided to pursue a new career. I was working at the Central Bank of Aruba when this opportunity came up, and I felt that I could help the economy better in this position than at the Central Bank. So I took that leap of faith, came here in March of 2021, and never looked back. It was a good fit for me. I like to be at the forefront of change, and ATIA was at the point where the Board also wanted a change.They wanted to make an impact again, to shock the community, so I told them they should choose me, as I was already well known in the community, and I had a big network.” BVM: How has the business climate evolved in Aruba through the COVID-19 pandemic? Henriquez: “Friday, March 13, 2020 was a very dark day for the island because we got our first positive COVID case. By March 17th all our borders were closed. Aruba is 80 to 85 percent dependent on tourism. So imagine in the span of a few days, going from an island in the middle of its busiest season to zero tourists. In a couple of studies by the IMF (International Monetary Fund), Aruba was the most impacted economy in the entire world by COVID because we lost so much business. “Fast forward a couple of months,Aruba had survived wave one and in July we opened our borders back up for tourism and we never closed them again. During that time, a lot of updated health and safety codes were created on the island, which also helped spearhead a new and different tourism industry. People wanted to still go on vacations, but be safe, and they felt very safe in Aruba because of all these new mandates and regulations. For the remainder of 2020 and into 2021, the island really showed its resilience. “Most businesses that could afford to do so went to a hybrid model or remote work. A lot of companies also invested in digitization. Supermarkets started having online orders and deliveries… the digital platforms really helped the island move forward. Some wholesale companies, for example, who depend on the hotel and tourism sector, weren’t 40 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 11, ISSUE 08
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx