Aruba to Pony Up Half a Billion Dollars in Travel Industry

This Caribbean island really wants you to visit. And it's spending a lot of money to entice you –nearly $500 million, in fact. That's what the island has committed to building several developments, including hotels and recreational centers, by 2012.

Some have already opened, including the Cunucu Arubiano, the island's first luxury eco-resort, and the Archaeological Museum of Aruba. Also new to the island are Mr. Jazz, a Cuban jazz club; the Tradewinds Club, a hotel within a hotel at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino; and Morgan's Island, a water park.

Several new resorts, restaurants and attractions will soon follow. Travelers will also have more ways to get to the island as AirTran Airways adds service from Atlanta and Orlando.

The Aruba Tourism Authority is billing the island as a budget-friendly, easy-to-get-to alternative to other Caribbean islands.