Entre Nous is the monthly newsletter from the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB), Caribbean Netherlands. In this newsletter you will find the accomplishments of TCB in Bonaire, North America, South America and Europe as well as the newest developments within the tourism industry.

We hope that you will read it with pleasure and if you have something that you think is relevant for the tourism sector to know just fax it to 717-8408 or e-mail to: info@tourismbonaire.com

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TCB WORLDWIDE

TCB - Europe Report

• New Dutch e-letter sent out!
• New items Monday update and LinkedIn
• Article in Reisburo Actueel
• Bonaire Prize
• New Bonaire game live
• Preparations Vakantiebeurs, Duikvaker & ITB
• Extra flight ArkeFly to Bonaire

TCB - New York Report

• Media Highlights
• Press Visits
• Bonaire Front and Center at the Be A Diver Pool at DEMA Show 2010
• Bonaire Makes a Splash at the Be A Diver Pool at AARP’s Orlando @50+ Event & Expo
• Outreach to Potential New Divers via Be A Diver Pool Stops

TCB - South America Report

• Our Christmas wishes online on its way …
• Bonaire highlighted again in front cover at Decostop Brazil !
• Bonaire co-sponsors "I online Photography Contest” - Agenda del Mar, Colombia
• Bonaire advertising at Ladevi Colombian magazine !!
• Diving groups from Colombia repeat in Bonaire !
• Anato Trade Show – Bogotá Feb 23th to the 25th
• Padi Dive Festival – Sao Paulo April 08th to the 10th

TCB Worldwide | TCB - Europe Report

New Dutch e-letter sent out >

In November we sent out a new e-letter to our Dutch database. Off course we paid attention to our new Bonaire Quiz. Who doesn't want to win a trip to Bonaire for two? Other items were dive spot Oil Slick Leap, the Eco Dive and the new Bonaire specials we put online.

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< New items Monday update and LinkedIn

Regularly we place new items on Monday Update & LinkedIn. This time the items were about the ‘Wie-kent Bonaire Kwis'. This is a question & answer game, contestants can test their knowledge of Bonaire. Quizmaster Fred Flamingo asks the questions and there are more than 30 prizes to be won. The main prize is a trip to Bonaire for two.

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Article in Reisburo Actueel

Reisburo Actueel is a Dutch magazine for the travel branch. In the latest edition the magazine placed an article about the Dinner Workshop that took place on September 14 th , 15 th , 21 st and 22 nd . During the workshop travel agents came together to gather information about Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. According to the article the event was a great success. Everyone enjoyed the enthusiastic presentations, the speed dates and the delicious meals. Travel agent Annaloes Rump from Toerkoop Reisburo Jo Land, was especially thrilled. She won a trip for two to Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao!

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< Bonaire Prize

The Dutch Bonaire Tourism Corporation congratulates Mike and Jo from Amstelveen! They recently won a trip to Bonaire for two. The lucky winners competed in the Bonaire DA Action. DA is a large chain of drugstores in the Netherlands. Clients could save so called UV points, with which they got discounts on sun products. But there was also a slogan competition. Mike and Jo came up with the best slogan and won!

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New Bonaire game live >

Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present quizmaster Fred Flamingo! Fred is the star in the brand new Bonaire game that recently has been launched. The game is called ‘Wie kent Bonaire Kwis'. It's a good example of a ‘questions and answers' game. Contestants not only have to answer questions, but they are confronted with visuals as well. Do they know enough about Bonaire to see which picture is taken on the island? The game serves multiple purposes. We want to teach the public as much as possible about Bonaire. But we also want to fill our database with new e-mail addresses. The main prize is a trip to Bonaire for two! The website statistics already showing a boost in visitors after launch of the game.

http://www.tourismbonaire.com/en/over-bonaire/multimedia-gallery/wie-kent-bonaire-kwis

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< Preparations Vakantiebeurs, Duikvaker & ITB

With the biggest Dutch tourism fair, Vakantiebeurs 2011 in Utrecht, TCB Europe kicks off for the new season. Again this year we will participate in the most important venues in our industry across Europe. That means we will participate on Vakantiebeurs and Duikvaker in the Netherlands. In the secondary markets we will also participate in the biggest international fair in Europe: ITB Berlin.

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Extra flight ArkeFly to Bonaire

ArkeFly is scheduling an extra flight to Bonaire. From April 1 st 2011 the Dutch Airliner will fly to Bonaire on both Tuesday and Thursday. Right now they only fly on Tuesday. The extra flight is good news for travelers. They can now also choose for a holiday of 13 or 18 days!

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TCB Worldwide | New York Report

Media Highlights The New York Times (Circulation 1.1 million) Bonaire was featured in the November 2 issue of the Travel Section of The New York Times. Entitled “A Guide to the Caribbean On A Budget,” Bonaire is highlighted for being one of the smaller islands in the Caribbean that is affordable and offers some of the best scuba diving in the world. Bonaire's pink sand beaches and Kralendijk are recommended as places not to miss when visiting the island. To read this article in its entirety click on http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/a-guide-to-the-caribbean-on-a-budget/?scp=1&sq=bonaire&st=cse . KVVU-FOX-5 News More (Circulation N/A) Bonaire was mentioned on KVVU-Fox 5 News segment on the DEMA Show and scuba diving that aired Friday evening, November 19. During the segment Reporter Claudine Grant interviewed “Big Wave Dave” underwater, in the Be A Diver Pool, to discuss some of the best places to scuba dive. Bonaire was showcased as one of the top places to scuba dive and offers some of the best marine life. Bonaire's underwater world, shore diving and variety of dive sites the island offers were mentioned throughout the segment. To watch this segment in its entirety click on http://www.fox5vegas.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4428058 . WOR-NewsTalk Radio 710 AM – Arthur Frommer's “The Travel Show” – Print Version on Bing Travel Website Bonaire was featured on the Arthur Frommer's “The Travel Show”, November 28, for being one of the top Caribbean Islands for budget travelers. Arthur Frommer and his daughter Pauline Frommer are hosts of this weekly travel show and gave listeners the opportunity to learn about 15 very special Caribbean Islands; each one renown for something specific. Bonaire was island number two and was given three minutes of airtime as the hosts talked about Bonaire's pristine diving and snorkeling, and reinterred the fact that Bonaire is a leading destination for sustainable tourism practices. Arthur Frommer's “The Travel Show” is broadcasted every Sunday on WOR-AM Radio 710 and has over a million weekly listeners in the tri-state area. To view this story in its entirety click on http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Caribbean+Islands%3a+Best+for+Snorkelers+and+Scuba+Divers&FORM=TRSSPG . Islands Magazine (Circulation 204,989) Snorkeling in Bonaire is highlighted in the November issue of Islands. Entitled “Love This?” Bonaire is one of the only three islands mentioned in the article for offering exquisite nature and coral reefs that you won't find on another Caribbean island. ^ Back to the top Press Visits Vern O'Reily-Ramesar: Fodor's Travel Guidebook Journalist Vern O'Reily-Ramesar is on assignment and was on island November 26 – December 1, 2010, to update the Bonaire section for the new edition of Fodor's Travel Guidebook. Vern was accommodated at Captain Don's Habitat and covered activities that included; hotel inspections, kayaking in the mangroves, Washington Slagbaai National Park, visit to art gallery Kas de Arte and dining at local restaurants. Pierce Hoover, Caribbean Travel + Life Writer Pierce Hoover is on assignment and requested to visit Bonaire this winter, for an upcoming destination piece for Caribbean Travel + Life. His story will have a major focus on Washington Slagbaai National Park and will highlight all of the activities available inside the park including; hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling and much more. Terry Ward, Freelancer: The New Haven Register, Sport Diver Freelancer Terry Ward is on assignment and will be visiting Bonaire soon for an upcoming story on Bonaire's windsurfing and its strive to become the first Caribbean island powered by 100% sustainable energy for Connecticut's top newspaper New Haven Register. Teresa Plowright, About.com Family Travel Editor Teresa Plowright is on assignment and will be visiting Bonaire in the coming months for an upcoming story on family activities, attractions and hotels Bonaire offers their visitors.   ^ Back to the top Bonaire Front and Center at the Be A Diver Pool at DEMA Show 2010 A s the title sponsor for DEMA's largest and most recognized diver acquisition and awareness program, the Be A Diver Pool, Bonaire had presence at another side of the Las Vegas Convention Center show floor. The Be A Diver Pool introduces people to the sport of scuba diving, giving them the opportunity to try the sport firsthand in the comfort of the 18,000-gallon 4-foot deep pool. Bonaire collateral materials were on hand for all attendees who visited the Be A Diver Pool area during all 4 days of DEMA Show.   Television coverage of the Be A Diver Pool was broadcast live FOX 5 Affiliate – KVVU during the evening of Friday, November 19. Bonaire was mentioned as one of the best destinations in the world for scuba diving. ^ Back to the top   Bonaire Makes a Splash at the Be A Diver Pool at AARP's Orlando @50+ Event & Expo As the title sponsor for DEMA's largest and most recognized diver acquisition and awareness program, the Be A Diver Pool, Bonaire had strong presence at the recent Orlando @50+ Event & Expo sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Giving our target market, Boomers , the chance to try scuba diving, they learned why Bonaire is such a great place to learn to dive and select for their next vacation. Bonaire's signage and collateral materials were on hand for all attendees and media who visited the pool during all three days of the show. With coverage of the pool having appeared on Orlando's CFN-TV Channel 13 News, the Growing Bolder TV Show, which is show on PBS stations WMFE-TV in Central Florida and WEDU-TV in Tampa and Orange-TV/Vision-TV on Comcast channels 8 and 9 in Orange County, Bonaire received exposure as a top destination to learn to dive and as one of the top diving destinations worldwide.   ^ Back to the top   Outreach to Potential New Divers via Be A Diver Pool Stops This month over 800 people who tried scuba diving in the Be A Diver Pool over the past few months received an e-blast promoting Bonaire as the top dive destination to learn to dive and to get certified. We encouraged them to visit their local dive retailer to sign up for classes and to put Bonaire on their list when considering their upcoming vacation options. To date, almost 2,900 people have tired scuba diving in the Be A Diver Pool and have received information about the destination.   ^ Back to the top

TCB Worldwide | South America Report

Our Christmas wishes online on its way …

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Bonaire highlighted again in front cover at Decostop Brazil !

With new branding characterized by a beautiful pastel colour design along its pages that includes also a new logo, the prestigious diving magazine DecoStop, in its Aug/Sep/Oct edition has again Bonaire at its front page. A complete six page report was written by the underwater photographer Ary Amarante, recently on island last August. 

With the title “Bonaire Mergulho com Variedade e Liberdade Escolha ” - Diving with Variety and Liberty to Choose – the editor describes the beauty of the sea, the preserved coral reefs, so easy to dive in Bonaire through the 80 dive sites of which 60 are shore dives found along the coast.  He continues his report, mentioning that you feel the freedom of diving in such a preservation conscientious environment on island.   

The article is very attractive for readers due to the beautiful pictures in all the pages.  The different accommodations on Bonaire were highlighted as well the excellent gastronomy on the island.  

Ary thanks all that made possible his trip to Bonaire, specially Buddy Dive and Bonaire Ocean Front his host hotels, Budget Rent a Car for his transportation, Dutch Antilles Express for providing the air tickets between Curacao and Bonaire, and Tourism Corporation Bonaire for well arranging his program. A nice report that without a doubt, will incentive more Brazilians to keep coming to our diving paradise Bonaire!.  

Follow the report, clicking DecoStop at www.decostop.com.br

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Bonaire co-sponsors "I online Photography Contest” - Agenda del Mar, Colombia

In the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the prestigious Colombian diving media extended an invitation to the island of Bonaire, to co-sponsor its "I online Photography Contest".  An event that from November to March, invites photographers to exhibit their best shots in the different environmental areas of land scape, fauna, flora and underwater photographs.    Tourism Corporation Bonaire was joined in this nice initiative by SunRentals, giving the winning price of the contest based on seven nights stay on island for 2 people. Unlimited shore diving is provided by Buddy Dive.  Daily breakfast by It Rains Fishes.  A car rental by Budget and air tickets from the city of Riohacha in Colombia to Bonaire, courtesy of Tiara Air. The event will have great local and international coverage, through prestigious partners such as the IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature.  It will be available to people in different parts of the world, who can access the contest webpage to sign up and upload photos. Agenda del Mar estimates a participation of 1000 shots, reaching about 150.000 people. The island of Bonaire as pioneer in preservation and eco nature conscientious, is very proud to be the only international destination co-sponsoring the event.   The winners of the photo contest will be officially announced in March, when they will be awarded in different categories.  You can follow the contest, clicking Agenda del Mar at www.agendadelmar.com

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Bonaire advertising at Ladevi Colombian magazine !!

From September until April 2011, Bonaire will be present at Ladevi, a tourism magazine that goes directly to travel agencies.   The advertisement campaign with a beautiful photo of Bonaire highlights the different packages offered by our properties:  Divi Flamingo, Captain Don's Habitat, Plaza Resort, Buddy Dive, Sunrentals and Caribbean Club.

Strategically TCB has added to the ad campaign, 4 key tour operators that through their website are committed promoting Bonaire among their travel agencies, diving schools and final consumers.   The tour operators are: Experience Turismo Alternativo, Munditur and SolWays (Bogota), Munditur (Barranquilla) and Alianxa (Bucaramanga).

We do believe this is a tremendous step to start working closely with the Colombian wholesalers.  Beautiful layouts have been designed by Dunn & Co, our advertisement agency.

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Diving groups from Colombia repeat in Bonaire !

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Anato Trade Show – Bogotá Feb 23th to the 25th

Our booth is already reserved at Anato trade show, taking place in Bogota this year on dates Feb 23 rd to the 25 th.   Sales Blitz as well will be organized to the cities of Bogota, Cali and Medellin!!!    

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  Padi Dive Festival – Sao Paulo April 08 th to the 10 th

Padi organizers have announced officially its new date in April 08/10.   A small trade show where from Friday to Sunday, we will all have the opportunity to meet again with the diving schools, tour operators, airline representatives and the specialized media in Brazil.    Bonaire already reserved the booth !!.     Sales Blitz to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro During our visit to Brazil, TCB as well, is planning to do sales blitz to main dive centers in Sao Paulo and Rio.