Bonaire Tourism Numbers for 2005 and 2006 Released

Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB), the Bonaire government’s tourism office, yesterday released long awaited reports detailing the Bonaire’s tourism visitation statistics for the 2005 calendar year. At the same time TCB released statistics for the first half of 2006.

The 2005 report shows that there were 62,550 tourists (staying at least one night on land) during the year, which reflects an overall 1% decline over 2004 numbers. The report attributes the decrease in visitors to a loss of air capacity from North America with the withdrawal of three out of four weekly flights by Air Jamaica. Air Jamaica’s reduction in service to Bonaire actually resulted in a reduction of capacity of between 30-45% to Bonaire from the North America, but the temporary addition of two flights on American Eagle, and the end of year introduction of a direct Continental flight from Houston, combined with stronger European visitation reduced the impact overall. From the North America alone, 2005 visitors dropped 4.6% over 2004, while visitors from Europe increased 7.5%. Arrivals from South America decreased by 10.9% over 2004, attributed mostly to airlift issues in the South American market.

For the first half of 2006, visitor numbers show a further, larger decline - a 5.9% drop versus year-ago numbers. However, arrivals from North America were only down 4.4%, while European arrivals were down 11.1%. South American arrivals were the only ones to show an increase, of 19.2%.

The North American numbers for the first half of 2006 are a bit misleading however, since they are being compared against the first half of 2005, when Air Jamaica was still operating four flights a week to Bonaire - seat capacity from North America during the spring of 2006 was at 659 seats per week, versus 765 seats a week a year prior, representing a 14% reduction in capacity, but with only a 4.4% loss in arrivals, indicating, as TCB points out, that at least in North America, demand for Bonaire appears to be in fact strengthening.

The decrease in arrivals from Europe is being blamed on a reduced number of seats on KLM flights for people wanting to deplane in Bonaire, combined with higher prices due to reduced availability.

The prognosis for the future may be brighter, however, in that for the North American market, Continental will be adding a weekly flight from Newark in December, ArkeFly will be starting service to Bonaire from the Netherlands in November, and Martinair will be starting service to Curacao from the Netherlands the same month as well. Those latter two flights should help offset the availability issues caused by KLM’s change in flight plans next year. (Sources: Tourism Corporation Bonaire Press Release, 2005 Bonaire Tourism Statistics (PDF), 2006 (First Half) Bonaire Tourism Statistics (PDF))

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