Alfonso Riveroll Estrada. President of the Whyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino

Q.- What´s your opinion about multi-destination?

A.- The Caribbean is one big tourist circuit that must be looked at as a whole. That´s the right way to allow visiting foreigners to have the opportunity of seeing different countries in just one single travel package. At the end of the day, that´s going to be a great help and that will eventually give travelers the chance of knowing something else.

Q.- What chances do you see in multi-destination travel between Cuba and Aruba?

A.- A good program comprising both nations can be put together with a much bigger chance for travelers to know the Caribbean. There´s now a direct flight by Aeropostal, the Venezuelan airline, and that´s a very important connection, you know. Cuba has developed tourism pretty well and has a good program in this sense with Cancun. That kind of experience makes us believe we could reap some good outcomes.

Q.- Some people say Aruba is a very peculiar tourist destination. What can you say about it?

A.- Aruba is a small island teeming with natural beauties that, above all, provides tourists with safety and security, something that everybody appreciates. I think travelers can find here a kind of culture different to what they see in other Caribbean islands. Arubans are very kind and funny, and most of them speak four languages. There´s a strong Venezuelan and Caribbean influence. So, as you can see, it´s a very nice combination we´re talking about.

Q.- What makes the Whyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino so different?

A.- The Whyndham Aruba is owned by Venezuelan investors. I´m one of those Venezuelans who decided to try his hand at Aruba. Our facility has a casino and different areas for congress and conventions, penciled in as the largest in Aruba. The hotel has 500 oceanfront rooms and it´s the only resort with an orderly service at the swimming poll. It also has six restaurants with a great assortment of food and superb ambiences. Besides, we won the Four Diamonds Award bestowed by the Hotel Association of America. We can say, for instance, that our hotel holds a yearly return rate somewhere between 38 and 40 percent.

Q.- The hotel´s advertisement brochures read the resort has Aruba´s only show featuring live music and singing...

A.- We recently opened a show with Cuban artists, a program choreographed by master dancer Tomas Morales and we´ve had sold-out shows every night since its debut.

Q.- What are its main tourist-sending markets?

A.- Around 40 and 80 percent of tourists here are from the U.S. We also have a considerable number of Venezuelan guests. We´re very interested in tapping into the European and Latin American markets.

Q.- Is this your first time ever in Cuba?

A.- No, I´ve been around many times. The first time I came here was with my dad when I was five or six years old. Since then, I´ve been back every so often and I always find something new, like now that they´re working to bring old buildings back to life. I think Cuba is very well as a tourist destination and authorities here are on the right track when it comes to offering a sympathetic, top-notch and one-and-only destination. Its beaches are marvelous and the city is great. I believe Cuba could aim at posting much higher fares than what it´s giving right now compared to other destinations. When you come to this country, you definitely get the best of two worlds because tourists find here not only good beaches and a huge old city, but also its´ people´s warmth, kindness and tenderness.