TCB-NYC Report

Bonaire's 5th Annual Dive Festival approaching

With the Fifth Annual Dive Festival just over one month away, plans are being finalized for all aspects of the Festival including the Photo Contest (with great prizes), dives with Dive Festival presenters and local naturalists, the closing ceremony and a Taste of Bonaire, which in year's past has been of the Dive Festival's most popular events. Dive Festival attendance is looking good as well - based on the people who have registered so far for the Festival, attendance is up from last year at this time and, with still another month to go until the Festival, the number is expected to grow. To add to the excitement as in years past Adams Unlimited will be hosting a Press Trip during the Dive Festival. Confirmed media for the press trip include a writer from Blue magazine and the New York Post. For more Dive Festival information and registration go to www.bonaire.coralreefalliance.org. Back to the top

Bonaire attends American Airlines Traavel Exchange in Puerto Rico from May 9-12

Bonaire will be participating in the American Airlines Traavel Exchange at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico May 9 - 12, 2001. For agents attending the show, Bonaire will be distributing Vacation Planners and Travel Guides as well as the new Travel Agent flyers, which are hot off the press. In addition to exhibiting at the show, on May 10th Bonaire, along with Aruba and Curacao will sponsor an ABC Destination and Product Seminar for travel agents, during which each destination will have 15 minutes allotted to them for a presentation. During the Bonaire portion of the Seminar the Bonaire destination video will be shown and Bonaire's own Nick Davies, from Captain Don's Habitat will sing. The Destination Presentation will take place from 9:45 - 10:30 AM (English version) and 10:35 - 11:20 AM (Spanish version). Back to the top

Second American Eagle FAM trip to Bonaire

With the second American Eagle FAM quickly approaching, TCB and Adams Unlimited have been hard at work finalizing all aspects of the trip including the itinerary. On the itinerary will be site inspections of the FAM trip host hotels, an island tour as well as time for the agents to participate in a pre-organized activity like diving or snorkeling, in order for them to sample the types of activities Bonaire has to offer. At this time 48 travel agents have been confirmed to participate in the FAM and will be hosted by Divi Flamingo Beach Resort, Harbour Village Beach Resort, Plaza Resort Bonaire, Port Bonaire and Sand Dollar Condominium Resort. Over the past month we have worked diligently with our tour operators and American Eagle with the common goal to make this FAM a success, and we are well on our way. A big thank you to Caradonna Caribbean Tours, GoGo Worldwide Vacations, Island Express, Maduro Dive FantaSeas and SeaRidge for their extensive efforts to get the word out about the FAM, coordinating the many aspects of the trip including flights and accommodations, and securing top agents from around the U.S. Another thank you goes to American Eagle, for making an airplane available to us prior to the June 2nd start-up date (by taking a plane out of scheduled service), and giving us the opportunity to jump-start our promotional efforts before the actual launch date. Back to the top

Editorial Placements

Windy City Sports

The April 2001 issue of Windy City Sports featured an article written by Roberta Sotonoff who participated in the Dive Festival Press Trip in June 2000. Giving outdoor enthusiasts a “grand tour” of her experiences while traveling in Bonaire, Mrs. Sotonoff details her experiences snorkeling and participating in the Dive Festival’s clean-up dive during which she gets to view “colorful creatures,” biking, windsurfing at Lac Bay, kayaking through the “narrow passages of Little Chicken Cove and Big Chicken Cove” in the mangroves, touring the island, seeing the salt flats where flamingoes “build their love nests and raise their chicks,” and spending the day in Washington-Slagbaai National Park and Rincon.

Also included is information on Harbor Village’s spa, where Mrs. Sotonoff indulged herself in the spa’s signature treatment called the Bonairean Salt Exfoliate, as well as a number of photos of flamingos, kayaking and windsurfing. Wrapping up her article, Mrs. Sotonoff signs off by stating that if asked if she would go to Bonaire again, she would go “in a heartbeat.”

Miami Herald

The April 29, 2001 travel section of the Miami Herald featured a half page article on diving in Bonaire. Written by Lorry Heverly who participated in the June 2000 Dive Festival Press Trip, the article includes detailed information on diving in Bonaire as well as extensive information on the upcoming Fifth Annual Dive Festival. A list of the Dive Festival's host hotels, plus package information is included along with the names and phone numbers for tour operators selling packages. The tourist office's toll free number and website address were included as well. The article also appeared on the newspaper's website www.miamiherald.com.

El Nuevo Dia

The April 29, 2001 travel section of the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia (circulation 245,000) featured a page and a half article on Bonaire. The article, which is the result of the April 20 - 22 American Eagle FAM to Bonaire, was written by Larissa Vazquez Zapata one of the press people who participated in the FAM. The article covers the entire front page of "De Viaje" (travel section) and contains 8 large four-color photos of the island (kayaking, Washington-Slagbaai National Park, the salt pans, snorkeling, diving and Kralendijk), as well as detailed information on the new American Eagle service to Bonaire beginning June 2, 2001. The article, which focuses mainly on the many activities and sites in Bonaire including diving, snorkeling, windsurfing and the National Park, also includes information on various hotels (Plaza Resort Bonaire, Sand Dollar Condominium Resort and Divi Flamingo Beach Resort, just to name a few). For these and other hotels included in the article a phone number and website or email address was included. Back to the top

Marketing to Travel Agents

During the first week of May, over 2000 travel agents in the Netherlands received an introductory mailing from the new Bonaire Tourism Office in Europe. They were offered a free destination videotape which they can show our island and its attractions to their clients. This video is presented in a specially designed package that also has information on our island. This mailing is the first part of our promotion for selecting the right travel agents for our DM-campaign for next high season.

Promotion Dive Festival

All the major Dutch Dive Shops, Dive Clubs and Dive Wholesalers are united under one organization, 'DuikVak'. TCB has joined DuikVak as a member. One of the first joint promotions featured the next Dive Festival. DuikVak-members were encouraged to promote this event to their clients, members and students. In June, we'll see the effects of our efforts. Additionally, we promoted Dive Festival to all major European Dive Magazines.

Divers Workshop, September 2001

Dive Clubs are major influencers to dive-tourists in choosing their destinations. To encourage them to promote Bonaire as a fine diving-destination, we will organize, together with 'DuikVak' a workshop on Bonaire. Attendees will not only be able to learn about the island, but also see the newest and finest dive equipment from manufacturers like Suunto, whose representatives will be present. Thanks to sponsoring manufacturers, the Bonaire private sector and others for putting together a competitively priced package offered to (Dutch) dive instructors.

European Insight on Dive Festival

Luckily. Both Rob Keersemaeker, bladmanager of Holland's leading magazine 'Duiken', connected also to the German 'Tauchen' and Bertus Bleiji, director of DuikVak, are visiting Bonaire next June to experience the Dive Festival for themselves. They will confer with TCB on developing a marketing strategy on how to get a European Insight on next year’s event. Both Rob and Bertus know the diving-industry in Europe very well and are aware of divers' motivations.

Press trip, June 2001

After several press releases and selected invitations to members of the press, the first European press-trip is planned for this June. Approximately. 4 to 7 journalist will visit Bonaire. In addition to diving (as Dive Festival is in progress), they will also learn about all the other soft-adventure possibilities Bonaire has to offer such as, biking, kayaking and windsurfing.

Introduction to KLM

KLM, the Royal Dutch Airline, will make an effort to bring Europeans from outside the Netherlands to Bonaire. Marketing will be focused in and around so-called airport cities, cities with an airport from where feeder flights from KLM are flying so that passengers can make a connection to the island. After sending introduction letters to all major KLM-offices in Europe, the European Office is confident a joint promotion can be realized with KLM and some of Bonaire's major tour operators. Back to the top

The Easter Weekend campaign was a great success! Along with the charter flights from the American de Turismo, Arts & Travel & Always operators, we had other small charter operations to the island, as well as a great surprise from Air ALM whom we could count on for the first time, with a direct flight to Bonaire on April 11/14 with an MD 80. A plane, which, to our delight and that of the travel agents was filled up rapidly! It was a week that saw many Venezuelan divers on the island.

According to the ALM statistics along with the charter flights, an estimate of 725 Venezuelan tourists have visited the island over the month of April.

Special tourism editions

The prestigious El Nacional and El Universal Newspapers have extended invitations to participate in their Tourism Editions.

Diario El Nacional on June 10

Diario El Universal on February 16

For more information on the co-op publicity for these editions, please contact Flamingo Representaciones at Flamingorep@telcel.net.ve

Discover Bonaire Seminars Caracas June 20

Flamingo Representaciones had started organizing the 3^rd edition of the Discover Bonaire seminars which is scheduled to take place on June 20th in Caracas. This event targets the 200 travel agencies of Bonaire’s major tour operators. Anyone interested in participating in this event please contact Flamingo Representaciones directly by e-mail: flamingorep@telcel.net.ve.

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"Early Entrance" program, Mountain biking and Kayaking now in Washington Park

Washington Slagbaai National Park now offers a new program called "Early Entrance". The Park now offers early entrance from 5:00 am upon request. Entrance fees for this program vary depending on the size of the group and the time of entrance in the park.

Also new in the park is Mountain biking and Kayaking. These activities are now permitted in the park. For more information call: Washington Slagbaai National Park (+) 599 785-0017 or STINAPA (+) 599 717 8444 www.stinapa.org e-mail: washingtonpark@bonairelive.com Back to the top

Dive shops, tour operators and attractions on Bonaire receive 'eco' certification

The Royal Dutch Tourism Union ANWB and the Section of Nature and Environment of the Department of Public Health and Environmental Control (VOMIL) of the Netherlands Antilles initiated a project called the “Tourism and Environmental Awareness project Netherlands Antilles”. This project started on April 1^st, 2001 in the Netherlands and its purpose is to create environmental awareness among tourists who choose Bonaire and Curaçao as their next vacation destination and invites tourists to contribute to the sustainability of tourism.

Tourists in the Netherlands booking a vacation to Bonaire will receive information with their travel documents regarding the relationship between tourism and nature on Bonaire and the importance of protection and conservation. So far, several tour companies, all dive operators and a number of tourist attractions have been awarded with a certificate in connection with this project. This certificate states these companies abide by the local and (inter)national laws and regulations for protection and conservation of Bonaire’s nature, culture and environment. The project carries a logo formed by an iguana, a cactus and a water element, symbolizing nature both above and under water.

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Sea Turtle Conservation on Bonaire: The Beginning

This year, Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. The story of the foundation of STCB shows that a lot can be achieved thanks to actions undertaken by one single person. Before 1991, sea turtles were still caught and slaughtered on Bonaire. Turtle meat was served in various restaurants on and sea turtle fishing wasn’t just for private consumption anymore. Especially at Lac Bay, where numerous green turtles were caught. (The green turtle was thought to be a delicacy.) Once caught they were brought ashore alive and they were put on their backs. Sometimes the turtles were lying like that for hours before someone came by and bought them. When sea turtles are on land they excrete salt from their eyes in the form of so called ‘turtle tears’. It thus appeared if these animals were crying. This awful sight was witnessed by several local people who were so shocked by this and thought that something had to be done. One of those local citizens was a Dutch Resident, Albert de Soet, who wanted to stop the slaughter of these ancient reptiles. He started to buy the turtles at Lac Bay and released them further along the east coast. These first actions led to many other events. One of them was the founding of Sea Turtle Club Bonaire in 1991. Another important step taken was that sea turtles were officially protected on Bonaire in that same year. Many funding activities were initiated and after a sufficient amount of money was raised, a conservation project was designed and executed since 1993. This project is still running today. Back to the top

On the hotel scene

Aqua Viva Apartments

Aqua Viva now offers new 7-night diving, snorkeling, windsurfing and adventure packages. For more information access their new website: www.aquavivabonaire.com

Carib Inn

During the past 3 months, Bruce Bowker’s Carib Inn has had over 70 guests who have made more than 10 trips to the island. “We have also upgraded all our rooms with new beds, microwave ovens, new tiling and lighting,” Said Bruce. www.caribinn.com

Captain Don's Habitat

From September 1-8, 2001, Captain Don's Habitat will be celebrating 25 years of Diving Freedom, featuring a grand celebration with fireworks on the 7th. Although the first week of September will be the official celebration week, Habitat is offering Anniversary Discounts for the first 25 days in September. "This week in September promises to be one that will go down in history, with parties, fireworks, great prize give-aways and as always great diving" says Jack Chalk, senior dive operations manager for Habitat Dive Resorts. www.habitatdiveresorts.com

Habitat has also upgraded most of their rooms with TV's and telephones. Also, Rum Runners, Pizza Temple features live music at the Deco Stop Bar every Sunday evening.

Divi Flamingo Beach Resort

The Flamingo Nest bar at Divi Flamingo Beach is now open daily from 3:00 - 10:00pm. A new gift shop 'Best Buddies on the Beach' and 'The Touch' beauty salon also opened. www.divibonaire.com

Harbour Village Beach Resort and Marina

Harbour Village Beach Resort has recently announced plans to step-up in the ultra-luxury vacation market with an estimated $4 million renovation project. Large scale remodeling of guest rooms and two on-site restaurants will transform the resort to an exclusive all-suites luxury format. Upon targeted completion in the Fall of 2001, the resort’s 72 rooms will be converted to 50 newly designed and ultra-luxurious suites. Each one or two bedroom suite will be available with either beachfront or marina front views, and direct courtyard or beachfront access. www.harbourvillage.com

Lions Dive Hotel Bonaire

Now features a completely renovated shorefront! On January 2nd the shorefront of Lions Dive Resort Bonaire re-opened with a raised "beach" and huge easy access into the ocean in where divers and swimmers can literally slide into the ocean !

The new restaurant "The Lions Den Beach Bar & Restaurant" opened officially on April 2^nd. It is now owned by Mr. & Mrs. Kirk Gosden of Green Parrott fame.

Besides the completely renovated dive shop with new pier and added additions, furniture & fixtures within the rooms are being replaced for new and at this point the main entrance will get an upgrade in keeping with the new look. www.lionsdivebonaire.com

Ocean View Villas

The April/May 2001 issue of Bride's (circulation 475,013) created a "tropical encyclopedia" for upcoming honeymooners. Bonaire was mentioned as a "veritable eco-haven" with it's National Park, Salt Flats, Flamingo Sanctuary and diving. But, for landlubbers, they spoke of our "good eating in the capital, Kralendijk, where the nightlife centers around homegrown music and sunset watching".

"For all the comforts of home" Ocean View Villas, http://www.oceanviewvillas.com, was the recommended accommodations. "Fully equipped kitchens, terraces sheltered by stucco walls and outdoor showers mean you could spend your honeymoon singing "Just the Two of Us."" With all that Bonaire has to offer, it's not only a Diver's Paradise, but a Honeymooner's Paradise as well.

Yacht Club Apartments

Yacht Club Apartments has recently remodeled and upgraded its property. This past week, a well-attended celebration marked the occasion. The 13-unit complex offers studios as well as apartments (one five bedroom, five bath mega-apartment). The well-situated property now boasts a swimming pool and a gazebo.

TCB congratulates Marcel and Elly Olij on the completion of their project. Pa Bien! Back to the top

On the diving scene

Green Submarine

Green Submarine just opened a convenient and fast tank exchange filling-station. With an air filling panel 6 feet away from the public road.

Special events coming up: Coral spawning happens twice a year, in September and October, one week after full moon, all over the world this miraculous event happens; the coral starts spawning. Check out www.greensubmarine.com for more information.

Dive and snorkel service on wheels: The Bonaire Dive Bus

After a successful trial run during recent weeks, the flamingo-pink Dive Bus is now operating on a daily schedule. The bus parks at a designated dive site from 9 am to 4:30 pm every day and provides a variety of services to enhance the safety, quality and convenience of shore diving and snorkeling at Bonaire's southern sites. These services include small lockers for safe keeping of wallets and car keys, available free of charge.
The Dive Bus also offers cold drinks and snacks. Underwater cameras are rented; disposable cameras and spare diving parts and much more are for sale. Oxygen and other first aid supplies are available, and there is a fresh water tank for regulators and cameras.

Initial feedback from the trial period indicates that the Dive Bus is a welcome addition to the dive scene. Some examples of services already rendered include providing a fresh tank to a diver whose tank had not been filled, an o-ring for another diver, and use of the phone by a diver who had locked his keys in his car.
Although the bus is owned and operated by Photo Tours Divers, enthusiastic support from the Bonairean government and a number of local businesses have helped make it a reality. This is an idea whose time has come. For further information, please contact Pascal at info@bonphototours.com.

The Dive Bus is present daily from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm at:

Monday - Angel City

Tuesday - Hilma Hooker

Wednesday - Margate Bay

Thursday - Salt Pier/Jeannies Glory*

Friday - Alice in Wonderland

Saturday - Windsock

Sunday - Pink Beach

* The Dive Bus will be at the Salt Pier unless permission is not given for that day

Reporters: Laura and Ben Buchbinder - Article & photo courtesy of The Bonaire Reporter

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On the restaurant scene

Warung Ketjil

New Indonesian restaurant and take-away, Warung Ketjil opens in Kralendijk. The restaurant is open daily from 5:00 to 10:00 pm.

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Jong Bonaire's visiting teen program

Q. What is the Visiting Teen Program?

A. The Visiting Teen Program makes it possible for teenagers (12-18) to spend afternoons at Jong Bonaire meeting the local kids and participating in the activities.

Q. Who can attend?

A. Any visiting teenager who is between the ages of 12 and 18 and who is currently a high school ("middelbare school" in Dutch) student.

Q. How will I get to know any of the kids?

A. You will be assigned a Jong Bonaire guide who speaks your language and hopefully likes the same things you like. So be sure to tell us your favourite activities when you sign up.

Q. What language do the teens speak?

A. Most of the teens speak four or five languages so you are sure to be understood. Dutch is the official language in the schools. Papiamentu, which is very similar to Spanish, is the native tongue. Many of the students and a great number of our residents are from Spanish speaking countries so that is one of the languages as well. And because of TV, movies and music most of the teens also speak English. So don’t worry about being understood.

Q. How much does it cost?

A. The cost is US$100.00 per week. Teens can visit Monday through Friday from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. if the center is open.

Q. How do I sign up?

A. It's usually best to notify the centre ahead of time to be sure we are open and ready to welcome you. Our schedule matches the local school year so it's a good idea to check with us first. E-mail is the best method to reach us jongbonaire@bonairelive.com but a phone call (599-717-4303) will also do.

Q. What happens if I don't notify you in advance?

A. We may not be able to accommodate everyone at the last minute. But give us a call and we'll do our best to make room for you. We like to assign a Jong Bonaire member to each visitor just to insure there are no language barriers and that our visitors have a good time.

Q. What about lunch?

A. If the visiting teen is interested in joining us for lunch, our canteen serves a healthy menu of hot plates (Nafl 6,00 or about US$ 3.30) and sandwiches (Nafl 3,00 or $1.75). There are also cold drinks, Popsicles and other treats. Back to the top

Kaya Grandi facelift

Bonaire’s Kaya Grandi has a new look! Local businesses have just completed a sprucing up of their properties. The newly painted storefronts are done in gentle Caribbean pastel colours, making the downtown area inviting to visitors and residents. Thank You to AKIB, the local business association and to the companies who donated time and materials for the project. Back to the top

May 2001
1	Labour Day
19	5th Bonaire Mountain Bike Challenge Race
20	Road Race 80 km Cycle Bonaire
24	Ascension Day (official holiday)
27	3 km Run Race
June 2001
2	Cycling Tour Kralendijk-Lac Bay
3	Pente Costel
9-16	Bonaire's 5th Annual Dive Festival
24	5 km Run Race
24	St. John's Day
29	St. Peter's Day
30	6th Angola Construction Sailing Competition
July 2001
7	Time Trail 10 km Bonaire Cycling
7	Circuit 50 km Bonaire Cycling
8	Road Bike Race 60 km
15	5km Run Race
*	8th Annual Bonaire Arts Day
* To be announced *Back to the top*
For a complete calender of events visit our website at www.infobonaire.com

Note: Dates are subject to change. Cruise ship schedule is available upon request at the TCB Office. If you have any additions, changes or corrections to this planner please send these to D. Waubenr via fax (+) 599 717 8408 or e-mail: tcbproduct@bonairelive.com Thank you.

*To unsubscribe or subscribe go to http://www.bonaireentrenous.com

*********************************************
Tourism Corporation Bonaire
Kaya Grandi #2
Bonaire
Dutch Caribbean
Tel: (+) 599-717-8322/ 8649
Fax: (+) 599-717-8408

E-mail: tcb@tourismbonaire.com
Website address: http://www.infobonaire.com/
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Bonaire's Monthly Newsletter
Tourism Corporation Bonaire
E-mail: tcb@tourismbonaire.com

Air Jamaica confirms 3rd weekly flight to Bonaire On Sunday July 1, 2001 Air Jamaica will begin its third weekly non-stop service to Bonaire. Air Jamaica already offers two weekly flights on Saturday and Wednesday departing from Montego Bay. This third flight allows more flexibility, even for short getaways and offers, just like the two other flights, convenient connections from Air Jamaica’s U.S. gateways. Back to the top
Bonaire hosting International Latin Festival on June 2nd, 2001 On Saturday June 2nd, 2001, Bonaire will be hosting a spectacular show in the Stadium of Kralendijk. BON FM, radio station and the events' major sponsor Polar beer, are proud to present the BON FM Festival, an International Latin Festival featuring Jose Alberto "El Canario" from Santo Domingo, Grupo Galé from Colombia, GIO Fuertisimo from Curaçao and supporting act from Glenn & Friends from Bonaire. For more information and ticket sales contact BON FM (+) 599 717 2102 or e-mail bonfm@bonairelive.com Back to the top

Order Bonaire's Destination Video online This year Bonaire introduced a brand new destination video. The seven minute video is an ideal promotional piece for our travel partners, dive shops or interested individuals. You can order TCB's destination video online: www.infobonaire.com/html/video.html. For questions and/or comments please write to tcb@bonairelive.com Back to the top
LOCAL Report
American Eagle flies travel agents, tour operators and press from Puerto Rico to Bonaire From April 20- 22, 2001 Bonaire welcomed its first American Eagle FAM and Press trip from Puerto Rico. The purpose of this visit was to introduce Bonaire to the travel industry and media from Puerto Rico. On June 2nd, 2001, American Eagle will be offering non-stop service to Bonaire from San Juan. A group of 56 travel agents and press visited Bonaire and were hosted by Divi Flamingo Beach and Plaza Resort & Casino. After a welcome at the airport by TCB and BONHATA, the group attended a cocktail reception at Divi Flamingo Beach. Joining this trip were also American Eagle Caribbean Sales Manager, Mr. Michael Rios and Flight Operations Manager, Captain Jose Machado as well as other representatives from American Eagle, who were all welcomed by the Commissioner of Tourism Mr. Ramonsito Booi and the Director of Tourism Ms. Elsmarie Beukenboom. On Saturday morning April 21st, the agents and press visited a variety of hotels for site inspections followed by a lunch hosted by Captain Don's Habitat. Afterwards the group was escorted by the TCB and the Commissioner of Tourism for a tour of the island, including a visit to the Salt Company, the Slave Huts and 'The Place' at Sorobon, where the professional Windsurfing Kids of Bonaire gave a spectacular show. On Saturday evening, a Market Place event, followed by a dinner, took place at Plaza Resort. In the afternoon of Sunday April 22nd, the group departed to San Juan, Puerto Rico. TCB is extremely pleased with American Eagle's FAM visit and is preparing for the second FAM May 11-14, 2001. For more information on American Eagle's service to Bonaire go to www.aa.com or www.infobonaire.com. *Back to the top*
Dutch Caribbean Meets Europe in May 2001 May 14-18, Aruba will host the DCME (Dutch Caribbean Meets Europe) conference. The four-day venue will offer the Dutch Caribbean Destinations an opportunity to meet European travel professionals and make them aware of what each island has to offer visitors. The attendees at the conference are being offered the opportunity to visit the other islands of the Dutch Caribbean, including Bonaire. They will arrive on island in four groups at staggered intervals beginning May 8 and running through May 22. Happy hours are planned for each of the groups where everyone who wishes, may have a chance to meet and talk to the European Representatives. Additionally, sight inspections and activities have also been planned for the various groups. Bonaire welcomes the opportunity to host these travel professionals and show them our Dushi Boneiru! *Back to the top*



	Issue #19 11 May 2001
	Entre Nous Bonaire's Monthly Newsletter