Honored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, his decades of leadership from Aruba continue shaping global standards in sustainable tourism, exceptional hospitality and community care
EAGLE BEACH, Aruba – April 24, 2026 — From the widest, most protected shoreline of Eagle Beach to global recognition, Ewald Biemans has shaped a legacy defined by purpose, care and action. On Friday, April 24, 2026, the Kingdom of the Netherlands honored Ewald Biemans, the founder and owner of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, with the royal distinction of joining the Order of Orange-Nassau during the annual “Ribbon Rain,” a key highlight of the King’s Day ceremony celebrated across the Dutch Kingdom.
Conferred by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, the honor of Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau recognizes individuals whose contributions create lasting impact across society. The Order of Orange-Nassau is awarded to individuals whose work has enduring influence in public service, innovation and humanitarian leadership, reflecting the highest traditions of service to community and country.
Over more than five decades, Biemans has shaped Aruba and the Caribbean tourism industry through executing a vision grounded in long-term responsibility, strengthening the island’s economy, community and environmental stewardship while helping define how sustainable hospitality is practiced worldwide.
A Vision Rooted in Aruba, Felt Worldwide
In 1987, at a pivotal moment when Aruba’s refinery closure left thousands without jobs and the island’s economic future uncertain, Biemans founded Bucuti Beach Resort. Opening day was Black Monday 1987, leading to a global market downturn, yet the resort grew into one of the Caribbean’s most respected and internationally recognized properties. His momentum continued, inspired by the 1992 Earth Summit, as he built a framework defined by best-in-class service and leading environmental certifications. With the addition of Tara Suites in 2004, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort further defined its standard of excellence through thoughtful service, environmental stewardship and a deep sense of place.
Later in the 2000s, Biemans further advanced his long-standing, island-wide sustainability vision by founding Tara Eco Supplies, creating greater access for Aruba’s tourism industry to sustainable products and operational solutions that were previously limited or unavailable. By making recyclable, biodegradable and energy-efficient goods more accessible at scale, the initiative helped reduce waste streams, lower resource consumption and elevate environmental standards across hotels, restaurants and businesses throughout the island.
From Aruba, his work has influenced how travelers experience hospitality and how the industry approaches sustainability. Over the decades, industry leaders have recognized his role in elevating Aruba’s global reputation, shaping tourism strategy, mentoring future leaders across the Caribbean and contributing to the foundation of modern tourism development on the island.
Shaping Sustainable Travel Through Action
Biemans has always approached his work as a lifelong student, driven by curiosity and a commitment to raising standards. That mindset has earned recognition at the highest international levels, grounded in measurable impact. Bucuti & Tara became the Caribbean’s first and Certified CarbonNeutral® hotel in 2018, the result of a comprehensive sustainability program developed over decades, defying what many believed was possible to achieve.
In 2020, the United Nations recognized that work with its Global UN Climate Action Award, marking the first and only time a hotel has received this distinction. Upon presenting the award, the UN affirmed Bucuti & Tara’s sustainability program as “highly replicable and scalable,” encouraging hotels worldwide to emulate its approach. Long committed to sharing these solutions across the industry, Biemans has been guided by his belief that every business can take meaningful steps toward carbon neutrality, advancing a model for more sustainable global hospitality.
Biemans has been personally invited to present at global climate forums, including COP26 and COP28, sharing practical solutions developed in Aruba with world leaders and industry stakeholders. His leadership has also been recognized by the World Travel and Tourism Council with its Climate Action Award, presented during a global summit featuring keynote participation from former U.S. President Barack Obama, where Biemans served as both award recipient and presenter.
Exceptional Hospitality with Purpose
At Bucuti & Tara, romance, wellness and sustainability operate as one, reflecting Biemans’ vision to create an experience designed to foster connection, restore balance and honor the natural environment. This distinctive approach defines the resort and has helped elevate Aruba’s global reputation, with Bucuti & Tara’s success contributing to the island’s recognition as a leader in meaningful, sustainable travel.
Biemans has built a culture centered on care, respect and well-being, grounded in the belief that wellness extends beyond guests to include staff and the broader community. Offering the most comprehensive employee benefits package including health programs, personal and professional development opportunities and even Green Loans, this philosophy supports a workplace where people thrive and feel valued.
This approach shapes a guest experience defined by intimacy, authenticity and consistency, where couples reconnect and individuals find today’s luxuries of time and space to recharge within a setting guided by purpose.
This commitment to exceptional service and guest experience has earned Bucuti & Tara global recognition, elevating not only the resort, but also Aruba’s standing among the world’s most celebrated travel destinations. A long-standing winner of Tripadvisor’s No. 1 Hotel for Romance, the resort today holds multiple honors from travel’s largest online review platform including as Tripadvisor’s No. 5 Hotel in the World, No. 1 Hotel in the Caribbean, and its Elements Restaurant. Honors extend far including from Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler and Forbes. Doubling down on delivering exceptional hospitality experiences that go hand-in-hand with sustainability, in Oct. 2025, Terra by Jeremy Ford, opened at the resort, sharing its proven ethos, bringing its Michelin-star and Michelin Green-star approach, and declared by Forbes as “the most coveted reservation to score.”
Biemans’ leadership has long been defined by conviction, often setting a direction that stood apart from industry norms. Well before sustainability became a global priority, he embraced it not as a niche offering, but as a fundamental way of operating, grounded in the belief that tourism must protect what draws people to a destination.
This philosophy is clearly and uniquely expressed through Bucuti & Tara’s “What We Are Not,” a defining part of its identity that reinforces a focused experience. The resort remains intentionally free from groups or large events, families with children, motorized watersports and excursions that compromise Aruba’s natural environment.
As Biemans often states, “We are not in the tourism business, we are in the nature business, as our powdery white sand beaches and turquoise waters continue to draw visitors.”
A Commitment to Think Global, Act Local
Biemans’ commitment to conservation spans decades, from supporting sea turtle protection on Bucuti’s beach, where vulnerable Leatherback sea turtles continue to return to their natal shores as some of the island’s earliest visitors, to safeguarding Aruba’s coastal ecosystems. More than 40 years ago, he also founded the island’s first hotel-led cleanup initiative, uniting the tourism sector around environmental stewardship. Today, the resort’s monthly beach cleanups bring together staff, community members and guests, removing an average of 1,500 pounds of debris annually while fostering shared responsibility and connection.
Together with Yesenia Arends, he also founded Stimami Sterilisami, the resort’s nonprofit and the program’s largest funder, supporting spay and neuter procedures for more than 47,000 dogs and cats and significantly improving animal welfare across the island.
In 2022, marking the resort’s 35th anniversary, Biemans, together with his dear friend Grete Marie Case and Bucuti & Tara, donated 30 acres to establish The Bucuti Tara – GMC Nature Preserve in Noord. Today, the 32-acre/13-hectare protected area stands as a lasting give-back to Aruba’s future generations, being reforested with already more than 1,200 indigenous trees planted and enhanced with nature trails through year-round efforts by guests, staff and the community. The preserve restores biodiversity while creating a vital carbon sink that contributes to Aruba’s climate resilience and reflects a model for conservation beyond the island. Bucuti & Tara guests, who are often visiting as couples at the adults-only resort, are now invited to Plant a Tree of Love in the nature preserve where they can return on future visits to see how their “love” continues to grow.
A Legacy Guided by Values
Those closest to Biemans describe a leadership style shaped by a lifetime of consistent, values-driven choices.
“Ewald’s life reflects a simple truth, that character is defined by what one does when no one is watching. His work has always been guided by purpose and care, creating lasting impact for Aruba, its people and its natural world,” said Susan Logan, a Bucuti & Tara resort executive and dear friend who was there since the beginning of the resort.
At the independently owned and family-operated hotel, Biemans’ vision continues to guide its direction and is carried forward through a continued commitment to its founding values. This legacy extends into the next generation through his granddaughter, Crescenzia Biemans, who proudly serves as Managing Director and also leads Tara Eco Supplies. Deeply engaged in both community and conservation, she is active on the Board of Stimami Sterilisami, the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) Board and Environmental Committee and can often be found planting seedlings in the nature preserve.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, and to those who put my name forward for this recognition as part of the Order of Orange-Nassau.” shares Ewald Biemans. This honor reflects the dedication of our team, the support of our community and the trust of guests from around the world who choose to experience Aruba with us. It shows what can be achieved when we care deeply for people and the world around us. I believe each one of us can change the world right where we are standing, and this recognition affirms that belief.”
This royal distinction honors a lifetime of action, integrity and commitment. From Aruba to global impact, Ewald Biemans continues to shape a future where tourism supports people, strengthens communities and protects the natural world.
