Tourism Corporation Bonaire organized its Q2 Bonaire Tourism Update for 2025

Joint Stakeholder Information Session

Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) in collaboration with Bonaire International Airport (BIA), Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA), The Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB), and Harbor Master (OLB), organized the second quarterly Bonaire Tourism Update for 2025 on July 21^st, 2025, at Plaza Beach & Dive Resort.

Commissioner Clark Abraham said: “Between 2017 and 2024, tourist arrivals increased from 128,000 to 182,200; a 42% growth, while the number of available rooms rose from 1,825 to 2,950, marking a 62% increase and surpassing the original target by 22%. The average stayover time also improved, going from 8.2 to 9.8 days. For 2025, TCB’s budget is set at 3 million, with a strong focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as expenditure per tourist, the number of stay-over visitors per market tracked monthly, quarterly, and annually, Average Daily Revenue (ADR), and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar).”

Elesiër Angel, CEO of TCB, presented the preliminary results, revealing that Bonaire welcomed over 45,000 stayover visitors in Q2 2025, compared to approximately 41,000 stayover visitors for the same period in 2024. She mentioned the marketing, PR, and events for Q2, which included the TCB & Friends cultural group for Dia di Rincon, press visits in April, the PAMAC Destination Summit, Strategy Meetings, Airlift performance and marketing campaigns, as well as a presentation to Staatssecretaris and Tweede Kamer leden, among other activities. During this month, we also welcomed the first flight out of the Dominican Republic with Air Century. Upcoming initiatives: The next Taste of Bonaire is scheduled for August 9. Bonaire is also preparing to participate in the DEMA Show in November.

“These quarterly updates are our commitment to transparency in action. We bring together partners, stakeholders, the press, and the public to honestly assess industry trends and tackle our challenges head-on. This open dialogue is crucial for forging a unified strategy, ensuring that tourism’s growth sustainably enriches our island and everyone who calls it home, “ said Elesiër Angel, CEO of Tourism Corporation Bonaire.

“In the second quarter of 2025, Bonaire welcomed 29 cruise ships and 86,946 passengers, including first-time visits by Orion (National Geographic) and Explora I (MSC Explora),” reported Harbor Master Günther Flanegin. “With passenger spending totaling $26 million and crew contributing an additional $2.1 million, a new cruise booking policy, guided by a Bonaire-specific BREA study, is being developed to balance tourism growth with visitor experience. This includes refining the one-ship-per-day rule to allow greater flexibility based on passenger volume.”

“Bonaire’s second-quarter results underscore both the resilience and vulnerability of our tourism sector,” said Veroesjka de Windt, CEO of BONHATA. “We’ve seen encouraging gains—average daily rates rose by 11.5% and RevPar increased by 13.4% compared to Q2 2024—but this growth has primarily been driven by pricing rather than rising demand. Occupancy growth was only 1.6%, indicating a reliance on rate increases rather than volume to sustain performance. Looking ahead, we face growing uncertainty. Operational costs are rising, airline load factors are under pressure, and demand from key markets, such as the U.S., is beginning to soften amid broader economic instability. These factors pose real risks to future growth. At BONHATA, we remain committed to working closely with government, local businesses, and the wider community to strengthen the foundation of our economy. Together, we aim to foster a sustainable tourism model—one that benefits our people, protects our environment, and secures a vibrant future for Bonaire.”

“In the second quarter, passenger numbers at Flamingo Airport increased by 11.8%, thanks in large part to strong growth at American Airlines. We continued to implement improvements, including the installation of new baggage belts in the departure hall and a cooling fan in the arrival hall. We are currently preparing for the installation of new security lanes and, together with OLB, automating the visitor entry tax process. We also recently signed a major contract for the construction of a solar park in the parking lot,” said Maarten van der Scheer, CEO of BIA.

A special thank you to Plaza Beach & Dive Resort for sponsoring the meeting room and the Tourism After 5.

For additional information, send an email to marketing@bonaireisland.com.