Essential - Aruba

The World Travel & Tourism Council has opposed the decision of the US Congress to delay the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative to land-based tourism and cruise line passengers, while keeping the January 8 2007 deadline for air passengers.

They estimate the Caribbean region could lose around US $2.6 billion and around 200,000 jobs as a result of the WHTI. Fewer than 30 percent of American citizens have current, valid passports.

The US government has delayed the passport requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative until January 1 2008 for land crossings at the Mexican and Canadian borders and for cruise passengers coming to the US from the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada or Bermuda. They amendment does not apply to those travelling by air, who are still required to have a passport from January 8 2007. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) believes the amendment doesn’t go far enough and has equated it to “a category 6 hurricane” in the Caribbean region.