Tourist Corporation Bonaire Announces 2006 Tourism Statistics
Yesterday, May 23rd, 2007, the Tourist Corporation Bonaire (TCB) announced the finalization of the tourism statistics for 2006--Bonaire received slightly more visitors in 2006 when compared to 2005.
For the year 2006, 1.6% more tourists visited Bonaire than in 2005. In real numbers, there was a total of 63,552 tourists in 2006 compared to a 2005 total of 62,550. After an initial drop in tourism in the first half of 2006, which was primarily due to a loss of three of four Air Jamaica flights, tourism did increase in the latter half of 2006, closing the gap caused by the airlift decrease.
It should be noted that the North American, South American, and Caribbean markets increased, compensating for a decreased European market confronted by airlift capacity problems. In 2006, the North American market (USA and Canada) increased 6.7% compared to 2005, in great part due to the new non-stop Continental flights from Houston, Texas and Newark, New Jersey. These two weekly flights alone compensate for the loss of 450 seats which occurred when Air Jamaica cut back service to one flight per week in 2005.
In the TCB release, it was forecast that Bonaire will see an increase of tourism from North America of about 8% to 9% in 2007. A separate analysis of the other markets will follow.
Additional information is available in the Statistical Year Report 2006, which can be requested by contacting Joanny Sint-Jago-Trinidad at TCB via email statistics@tourismbonaire.com.
To view the complete TCB press release (in Papiamentu), click here (in PDF format). (Source: TCB Release)
Note Update May 25, 2007: An additional communication from TCB was received on Friday, May 25th. In this release, it was stated that all markets, except Europe, saw an overall increase in tourism in 2006 as opposed to 2005.
In 2006, the South American market climbed by 15.2% compared to 2005. This is primarily caused by positive results of marketing strategies in Brazil, as many dive groups from Brazil traveled to Bonaire in 2006. All other South American markets, with the exception of Ecuador, also climbed. It is projected that visitors from the South American market will rise 10% in 2007.
The Caribbean market is historically limited to Aruba, and total visitors in 2006 climbed 22.9%.
The only market not seeing an increase in tourism was the European market, which experienced a drop of 6.2% when compared to 2005. The principal market from Europe is that of Holland. Total European visitors in 2006 were 28,202, which was impacted by the fluctuation in overall seat capacity. The introduction of the Arke Fly flights in November, 2006 helped, but it was not sufficient to stimulate capacity for other European markets. Indications project that the European market will increase in 2007.
The second TCB release can be viewed (in Papiamentu) by clicking here. (Source: TCB Release)
Note Update May 31, 2007: In a final communication from the TCB, it was noted that cruise tourism grew 54% in 2006 when compared with 2005. Although fewer ships actually called in 2006 (89 visits compared to 78 in 2005--a drop of 12.4%), the number of actual cruise visitors rose from 40, 777 in 2005 to 61,844 in 2006. This means that larger cruise ships with more people on them are arriving in Bonaire’s port.
The TCB has a master plan for 2007 through 2009 in which the number of overall stay-over visitors (those staying one night or more) will grow to 80,000. (Source: TCB Release)
