Global issues dominated the discussion at the Aruba Timeshare Association (ATSA) sponsored think tank on visioning the future of Aruba. Global competition, global foreign policy, changing demographics and the global environment emerged as primary concerns by participants at the ATSA event on November 30, 2006. They also expressed major concerns over the lack of public-private cooperation to assist the Aruba tourism industry in addressing the challenges in these areas. Additionally, they also were quick to identify the lack of serious industry-wide leadership in moving the industry's collective level of understanding of these challenges to the next level. While discussion and debate was robust with many divergent views, all participants agreed that 1) the global market place will continue to drive and reshape the products and services that make up what has become known as Aruba's number one industry, tourism; and 2) this will change the Aruba's competitive landscape more than most realize. This first Think Tank, focused on the five major forces driving change identified in the International Hotel and Restaurant Association's publication "Into the new millennium, a white paper on the global hospitality industry" (see figure 1). The forum included thirty-five representatives from the private sector, government organizations and educational institutions. These leaders of the Aruba tourism industry were asked to consider the future in the context of the five macro forces identified in the White Paper. The questions they were asked to respond to are listed in figure two. The day long nominal group technique has identified a number of critical issues for the industry. In the sections to follow these issues will be summarized. These summaries will then yield an agenda of research designed to improve the industry's overall understanding of how it can meet the challenges brought on by this force driving change.