International arrivals into Bonaire continually growing, especially with premium travelers and new markets

The latest analysis from ForwardKeys, a leading travel data firm, reveals an upward travel trend for inbound international arrivals to Bonaire, capturing a whole new market in the post-pandemic.

Bonaire surpassed pre-pandemic arrivals in 2022, up by 37%, and the outlook for Q1 of 2023 remains rosy with double-digit growth again. The top growing source markets are the Netherlands followed by the USA and the UK.

“We are extremely grateful to see the results of 2022 and the outlook for 2023. Tourism Recovery was our main focus with specific objectives such as the shift in the type of travelers. ForwardKeys has played an instrumental role in our efforts, and we look forward to a continued partnership,“ says Miles Mercera, CEO of Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB).

More importantly, there has been a market shift in the type of travelers heading to Bonaire – more premium cabin class passengers and more families who are also staying for longer. Longer stays are up on 2019 levels, up by 8 percentage points.

“One of our strategies as part of the Tourism Recovery plan is a diversification of visitors in terms of country of origin and to inspire travelers beyond diving. TCB has launched its new branding marketing campaign titled “it’s in our nature” which includes a new modern website www.bonaireisland.com. It is exciting to see these results presented by ForwardKeys as it helps us to strategize for the future and measure the impact of the changes made,” adds Mercera.

“Flight connectivity and seat capacity remain a key aspect of recovery. We feel that Bonaire will only grow in popularity in 2023 with enhanced connectivity to key markets such as the USA and key growing European markets such as the UK and France,” adds Juan Gomez, Head of Market Intelligence at ForwardKeys.