Tourism Corporation Bonaire recognized Dee Pedersen as the first to be awarded as part of the Bonaire Friends Program

Tourism Corporation Bonaire is proud to recognize Dee Pedersen as the first award recipient as an individual who embodies the spirit of Bonaire and has made a significant impact on visitors to the island.

Bonaire Friends is aimed at celebrating the local people and encouraging visitors to share positive stories about their experiences and friendships with the locals on the island. The initiative is designed to highlight the great service that the people working in the tourism industry are providing to visitors and to thank them for their hard work.

Dee Pedersen was nominated by Tom Darrow, a long time Bonaire Ambassador, for her outstanding contribution to the tourism industry on the island.

Dee Pedersen, along with her husband Ulf, owns and operates the Woodwind snorkel excursions off Klein Bonaire. For the past 15 consecutive years, Dee has been the leader on these trips, making sure every guest has an unforgettable experience. Her passion for Bonaire is contagious, and her knowledge of the island’s history and ecology is remarkable. Dee is an exceptional ambassador for Bonaire, and her exceptional service has made a lasting impression on her guests.

Tom Darrow, who nominated Dee for the award, shared his experience: “Dee is the best ambassador for Bonaire that we’ve met on the island. Her passion for Bonaire is inspiring. She welcomes everyone to the Woodwind and immediately makes guests feel like Bonaire family.

Dee meets each person on the boat where they are in terms of skill and comfort and makes the experience exceed their expectations. The Woodwind is THE BEST excursion of any kind that we’ve experienced, and we’ve visited 44 Caribbean islands and many European countries.”

Dee’s exceptional service has helped to create lasting memories for her guests. As Tom Darrow shared, “This service Dee provides leads to etched and lifetime memories that keep all of us coming back and back and back to Bonaire! Dee has evolved us from ‘guest’ to ‘friend’.'”

TCB is proud to recognize her contribution to the tourism industry on the island, and we congratulate her on being our first winner of the Bonaire Friend Program.

The Bonaire Friends campaign is an ongoing invitation to visitors to share their stories about locals who have helped them enjoy new experiences, recommended great restaurants, or simply been there to lend a helping hand. To participate, visitors are encouraged to submit their stories to the dedicated Bonaire Friends page on www.bonaireisland.com/bonaire-friends. They can also submit photos or videos to accompany their stories.

Note: An award recipient will be selected on a weekly basis.