KRALENDIJK - Bonaire welcomed 13,701 overnight visitors in August, five percent fewer than in August 2025. The decline is almost entirely driven by the American market, which fell sixteen percent to 3,738 visitors. These are preliminary figures from the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB).
A year earlier, 4,459 Americans visited the island. The United States’ share of total visitor numbers dropped from nearly 31 percent to just over 27 percent. This is the fourth consecutive month in which the American market has contracted: in June, the number of American visitors fell by twelve percent, and industry association Bonhata already noted in August that the North American market had declined by approximately twelve percent for three months in a row.
Departure of JetBlue
TCB director Elesiër Angel confirms that the American market is driving the decline. "The August figures do indeed show a five percent drop compared to last year. Looking specifically at the American market, we see a decline of 16.2 percent. That accounts for approximately 90 percent of the total decline this month," said Angel. "The main reason is that JetBlue no longer flies to Bonaire this year, which has reduced direct capacity from the US."
The American airline had been flying from New York to Bonaire since November 2024 and discontinued that route on 3 January 2026. According to JetBlue, this happened after the island’s government prematurely terminated a multi-year revenue guarantee. Bonhata warned at the time that Bonaire would lose five flights per week from North America during the high season.
The origin of American visitors is also shifting. Florida is now the top source state, followed by Texas, New York, California, and North Carolina. A year ago, New York topped the list. The share of Americans who visit specifically to dive dropped from 39 percent to 36 percent.
Broader trend
The decline is partly part of a broader picture. In 2026, Americans are travelling more selectively due to higher prices and more expensive airline tickets, and the FIFA World Cup held on home soil kept some travellers at home this summer.
Dutch visitors stay longer
The Netherlands remains by far the largest market with 6,114 visitors, roughly the same as last year. As other markets shrank, the Dutch share rose to nearly 45 percent. The TCB report also shows that Dutch visitors stayed longer: an average of approximately thirteen nights, compared to just over eleven in August 2025. Americans stayed an average of seven nights, half a night longer than a year earlier.
The number of visitors from Curaçao fell fourteen percent, from 1,856 to 1,591. Smaller markets grew: Italy doubled to 172 visitors, Aruba rose to 268, and Argentina and Brazil entered the top ten with 123 and 117 visitors respectively. The United Kingdom dropped off the list.
2026 runs one percent behind last year
August is the third consecutive month with a decline. Over the first five months of 2026, visitor numbers still grew by 0.56 percent, but June brought a 1.6 percent drop and July a four percent decline. As a result, the total for 2026 through August stands at approximately 133,500 visitors — about one percent below last year’s level.
It is worth noting that August 2025 was an exceptionally strong month, with growth of 15.6 percent compared to 2024. Compared to August 2024, the current figure is still nearly ten percent higher.
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