NEWS FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR

From the Director's Desk Another month has passed and the good news about Continental Airlines continues. The flights are arriving full and it looks like the future bookings indicate no let-up. We are continuing our efforts to increase the aircraft size and frequency of flights. In the last Entre Nous we announced the funding for the Tourism Awareness project and I am happy to see that the process of selecting consultants for the programs, etc. is moving along nicely. We are making sure we are informing the people and expect to see a mid-year start up of the actual program. It is important to note that the main focus will be on the Bonaireans and to have them benefit from the investment in terms of education and training. Of course this in turn will benefit and improve our tourism product. The program will offer more than this, of course. We will keep you informed. Also I would like to update Entre Nous readers on Dive Into Adventure Bonaire. The web site is up and we have been getting reservations already! Check out http://www.diveintoadventurebonaire.com/. Our ads are running and we are in the full-steam-ahead mode. What makes this event different from the past is that we have included all of our European partners as well, plus we are placing a huge focus on our local talents and on our on-land activities, without losing the core focus, which is “diving.” We have a wealth of talent to call upon and they have become well known to many in the diving community. We will have them featured during the Taste of Bonaire, our kick-off event and throughout the week, they are “Bonaire’s Stars.” I also would like to thank Nick Davies from CleverNSmart, Lisa Blau, Sarah Biggerstaff, Roger Davids, Lidewij Staal, Annebet de Lint, Nick Lucey, our sponsors and all others who are providing their support. These folks have been working tirelessly to make this event memorable. Over the next few months, we will be paying a lot of attention to Bonaire’s Marketing Strategy also. We want to become more “up to speed”, and to “create a leap” for Bonaire. A new branding, more use of modern marketing tools, etc. are a few of the components to be tackled during this year. To that end, we launched a survey to obtain data that we could use to help us frame this approach. We expect to cover not only past and recent visitors, but also we want to tap into the pool of potential visitors who have given us permission to contact them. We need to know from all sides what motivates people to visit and choose us for their vacation destination and what intrigued them to inquire about Bonaire. This survey will be launched in all markets, USA, Europe and South America and will be combined with other methods of research, for example, focus group study and an analysis of competitors – focusing on certain specific aspects of tourism motivation. Back to the top New Bonaire Ambassadors AWARDED GOLD:  Ernst & Susi Seeling We are honored with our GOLD Bonaire Ambassadors, Mrs. Susi Seeling and Mr. Ernst Seeling from Vienna, Austria. Back in the 1980s, they read in a German dive magazine about Bonaire and its shore diving opportunities, a perfect replacement for Ernst who suffers from sea sickness and was looking for an alternative to boat diving. When they wanted to book the flight, their Viennese travel agent did not know about Bonaire and almost sent them to Borneo. But they finally made it here and fell immediately in love with the island. Exactly what they were looking for: a quiet and clean place with friendly and helpful people and a wonderful reef along the west coast. Since then they have been coming to Bonaire every year--giving up their skiing vacation to save days to come for a lengthy vacation to Bonaire. Ernst is a very eager underwater photographer and many of his award-winning pictures were taken on Bonaire’s reefs. Five years ago, when they retired, they were offered the chance to work as free-lance photo journalists for a dive magazine. Since then, they have published numerous photo stories about Bonaire and promoted the island among the Austrian diving community! TCB has received copies of marvelous stories that have been published. According to them, they have discovered, in the meantime, that Bonaire has more to offer than shore diving. Their favorite place on-land is Washington Slagbaai Park, and they feel that Bonaire is a great place for outdoor people and nature lovers also. Susi and Ernst have made several friends on the island and have been visiting for 23 years and are planning their next trip already. They have visited many other destinations, since they retired, but keep returning to Bonaire again and again. “Now as Bonaire Ambassadors, we feel even more motivated to write about the island and prove with our pictures its beauty both above and below the sea,” according to Susi and Ernst. For Tourism Corporation Bonaire it is a great pleasure to have Susi and Ernst as GOLD Bonaire Ambassadors. “We thank Susi and Ernst for their numerous visits, the promotion they have done for the island and the promotion they will continue doing, "true Bonaire Ambassadors” according to Ronella Croes, Director of Tourism Corporation Bonaire. Congratulations!   AWARDED BRONZE:  Aaron Zetley The first Bonaire Ambassador for the year 2006 is a young gentleman of only 10 years old. His name is Aaron Zetley. He visited our island when he was a baby for the first time in 1996, together with his parents. This is the 10th time that he visits the island of Bonaire. His passion for the island is all about windsurfing. Aaron takes classes with Elvis at Bonaire Windsurf Place. For Tourism Corporation Bonaire, it is a great pleasure to have Aaron as the first Bonaire Ambassador for the year 2006. Congratulations!   AWARDED BRONZE:  Ron & Marian Hayden Kennewick, Washington U.S.A. When we first visited Bonaire in 1993, we were so taken with the island that we stopped on our way to the airport to leave for home and bought a timeshare. That was a spontaneous decision we’ve never regretted – Bonaire has become our second home. The diving is spectacular, the weather is perfect, and the pace of the island is just right to ensure a relaxing time. The best thing about Bonaire is the people. We’ve met new friends who we look forward to seeing on our vacations. We’ve enjoyed bringing friends from home with us to enjoy the island. Our Bonairian friends have treated us like family and we think of them that way. They are the best ! Bonaire is home to us, one that we’ll keep coming back to for years. To see more of Bonaire's Bronze, Silver, or Gold Ambassadors, visit http://www.bonaireambassador.com! Back to the top .