KRALENDIJK, Bonaire – On Monday, January 17, 2022, Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) kicked off the year with its virtual marketing week and presentation of its 2022 marketing and action plan as part of our Tourism Recovery Plan. Bonaire’s Tourism Strategy led by TCB in partnership with its stakeholders shared four main objectives for 2022:
- Community inclusion: Expand the benefits stemming from tourism development to a broader segment of the Bonaire population.
- High-value, low-impact tourism: Redefine Bonaire as a unique premium destination, especially as the world looks for a way to get away from the COVID stress.
- A cohesive regenerative strategy: Practice this to attract the right type of tourists and increase revenue and profitability. Focus on the active and affluent customer that is looking to experience an authentic product. Goal: Leaving Bonaire better behind.
- Elevate the tourist experience: Highlight Bonaire’s culture, culinary arts, and the variety of land and sea adventures. Improved supply chain inclusion and spreading of activities/expenditures, crowd management.
The virtual presentation was presented by the chief executive officer of TCB, Miles B M Mercera, where he shared the latest developments in tourism including a recap of 2021 and its performance results. In Q3 2021, the number of visitors arriving by air almost tripled compared to the same period a year earlier. Approximately 38 thousand visitors travelled to Bonaire by air. Bonaire attracted altogether more than two and a half times as many visitors as one year previously. The data also shows that the share of European Dutch visitors to Bonaire increased.
Furthermore, TCB addressed the current air service performance/developments and the objectives outlined for 2022/2023. Bonaire’s Route Development Committee led by TCB consisting of both public and private sector partners has stipulated its focus for the year. The short-term goals include expansion in air service capacity out of the North American market with a strategic focus on the tri-state area, North Carolina and Midwest USA. Updates were also given on the carriers involved and the progress made.
Highlights of the overall strategy includes clear KPI’s for both the North American and European market with a focus on the increase of our Average Daily Rate (hotel) and average expenditure per visitor. TCB will also move into the digital era by adopting the 100 percent digital strategy for its branding and advertising needs. The New branding initiative titled Repositioning of Bonaire in Harmony with Nature and Our People is scheduled to launch in Q2 2022 which will include a full transformation of the Bonaire website.
Data collection will remain an important component of the overall strategy of which our Bonaire Exit survey and new entry tax platform will be of utmost importance. TCB also shared its product development efforts such as school learning programs, general tourism awareness campaigns, Bonaire WIFI projects for public areas and much more.
The second part of the presentation was presented by Veroesjka de Windt, chief executive officer of BONHATA. Veroesjka who gave an overview of accommodation performance in 2021, and also their upcoming projects for 2022.
The marketing week continues on Tuesday with a presentation of the new creative agency Dunn & Co that TCB has been working with the last couple of months, and on Wednesday the presentation about Exit Survey and Cruise Data.
