KRALENDIJK – Less than a day after UPB leader Jolinda Craane’s warning about a possible decline in tourism on Bonaire drew widespread criticism, the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA) is also arguing that the situation is less favorable than the official visitor figures suggest at first glance. The industry body does, however, place a different emphasis than the politicians.
According to BONHATA, the number of stayover visitors between January and May grew by just 0.56 percent compared to the same period last year. That modest increase may give the impression that tourism is stable, but the organization argues it says little about the performance of the hotel sector.
BONHATA points out that average hotel occupancy fell by around four percent over the same period, while the supply of vacation rentals through platforms such as Airbnb grew by 8.8 percent. As a result, visitors are being spread across an ever-increasing number of accommodations, putting greater pressure on the hotel sector.
BONHATA also expressed concern about the loss of air connections with the United States. According to the organization, the number of American stayover visitors dropped by 11.7 percent in April. The industry association considers this significant, as American tourists have traditionally accounted for a substantial share of hotel nights and tourist spending on the island.
The organization acknowledges that growth in the number of European visitors is currently preventing an overall decline in stayover numbers, but maintains that this does not fully offset the drop from the North American market.
BONHATA’s analysis illustrates how different parties can draw very different conclusions from the same tourism statistics. While Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) primarily points to stable visitor numbers, BONHATA focuses explicitly on occupancy rates and the economic performance of hotels. As the representative body of the hotel and tourism sector, it naturally puts the interests of its member businesses first.
A broader debate
The debate about the state of tourism on Bonaire appears to extend well beyond the simple question of whether visitor numbers are rising or falling. The distribution of tourists across different types of accommodation, the accessibility of the island, and the economic returns from tourism are all playing an increasingly important role in the discussion.
