Natalee Holloway case: Aruban guide hired by Beth Holloway says island took economic hit after disappearance

Aruban guide that Beth Holloway and friends hired in the wake of her daughter, Natalee Holloway, going missing in 2005, says the island has taken an economic hit ever since the Alabama student went missing.Natalee Holloway disappeared during a 2005 Mountain Brook High School senior trip in Aruba.

The primary suspect, Joren van der Sloot, is currently in a Lima, Peru, prison serving a 28-year prison sentence for the killing of 21-year-old Stephany Flores in Lima.Flores was killed by van der Sloot on May 30, 2010 — exactly five years after Natalee Holloway was last seen alive.Peruvian officials announced late Wednesday van der Sloot would be temporarily extradited to the U.S., where he will face charges relating to an alleged extortion scheme to get money from the Holloways.After getting word in 2005 that her daughter was missing, Beth Holloway and a group of friends flew down to Aruba and hired Alberto Groeneveldt to be their guide, and assist them in the search for Natalee Holloway, according to an episode of ABC's "20/20" that aired in 2019.In a phone call with FOX Business, Groeneveldt, who owns an event planning business, said that the island has taken an economic hit ever since the disappearance.He said business in the area has "picked up a little bit" but said, "it's not like before."Specifically, Groeneveldt cited a decrease in clubs in the area, in addition to a drop in cruises that make stops in Aruba.

Tourism is "the mainstay of Aruba’s economy," according to the U.S. State Department, which says that two million tourists visit the island per year."It has had a long-term impact on the island," Groeneveldt said.The former guide for Beth Holloway and people searching for Natalee Holloway said, however, that the.