Natalee Case Hurting Aruba Tourism?
On an island where it's a breeze to find yourself in a picture postcard setting, it's no wonder tourism makes up 85 percent of Aruba's economy. Some 800,000 Americans visit each year.
But one of them, Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, vanished from the popular vacation destination while on a graduation trip 10 months ago.
And, as the latest round of searches for her continues, it appears that the steady stream of news about the disappearance may be hitting Aruba where it hurts: in the pocketbook.
"There is this stigma. When I was telling people, 'We're going to Aruba for spring break,' people kind of looked at me like, 'Oh?' " tourist Jill William told CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano.
Rob Smith, who's with Aruba's Hospitality and Security Foundation, concedes the peaceful island he loves may be feeling some tourism heartache, saying, "It's obviously affected our worldwide integrity, or at least our perceived integrity."
Smith says that after 10 years of steady growth, tourism in Aruba is suddenly flat.
"I think that a lot of people think that Aruba is not safe, and it's just not the case," he insists.
When Solorzano approached a group of four teens and asked if they felt safe on Aruba, she got a resounding "Yeah, definitely, definitely," as a reply.
Teens Solorzano spoke with say they're now more aware, but Holloway's disappearance hasn't kept their families away.
Tourist and father Ed William told Solorzano, "One hundred percent, we believe it's safe, and we feel the Arubans have done everything they can in terms of solving this mystery."
Aruba's Smith stresses there may be other factors at work, such as the increased cost of accommodations, and tourists spooked by a harsh hurricane season.
But he admits he hopes the Holloway case is solved soon: "I believe that, long-term, the world will know the truth about our destination."
Solorzano points out that after the Holloway case broke a group called Aruba Truth was formed to try to make sure news about the island is accurate, with the hope of shielding the island's tourist industry.