 Entre Nous is the monthly newsletter from the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB), Netherlands Antilles. In this newsletter you will find the accomplishments of TCB in Bonaire, North America, South America and Europe as well as the newest developments within the tourism industry. We hope that you will read it with pleasure and if you have something that you think is relevant for the tourism sector to know just fax it to 717-8408 or e-mail to: info@tourismbonaire.com.
Bonaire Overall Tourism Arrivals showing strong growth in first half 2007 Mark your calendars for the TCB Annual Marketing Meeting Upcoming Exciting Events organized by TCB in September “SMAAK VAN BONAIRE” = “A TASTE OF BONAIRE” LOVE OUR PLANET WEEK Returning Event organized by TCB, Taste of Bonaire on September 9th 2007 To check out new Bonaire Ambassadors. please visit: www.bonaireambassador.com
Last week TCB Europe visited the winner of TCB’s Schateiland: Annemieke Glas, from Egmond aan Zee. Not only was she one of the weekly winners, she also came up with the most creative slogan. Of course Annemieke was pleasantly surprised. She won a trip to Bonaire for two, where she will stay at Plaza Resort.
As we view the stats on TCB’s new viral game “Fish or miss” we can say it’s a big success! Since the 1st of June the game was played over 20.000 times! The game was mentioned in the different newsletters as well as in our corresponence to the private sector. The main prizes for this game are also trips to Bonaire for two with stays at Port Bonaire and Golden Reef Inn. De "smaak van Bonaire" event in Haarlem (Taste of Bonaire) September 27th will be a special day. In Haarlem TCB Europe will be host of the Dutch version of “Taste of Bonaire”. At this event the Bonairean government will inform everybody about plans and developments rekating to politics and infrastructure. TCB Europe will present the new branding. Jean Marie Coffie, the award-winning bartender, and other culinary talents will join us.
Since TCB Europe has started an e-card action the 1st of August, many people reacted very positivkly. Our mailbox is filled with beautiful pictures every day. It shows us again how photogenic our island is. At the end of August we will show the selected pictures which will be used for an e-card. TCB participates in TUI’s Road Show October 8th , 9th , and 10th , TCB will participate in TUI’s Road Show. Together with several hotels from Bonaire, we will visit Zwolle, Vianen and Ridderkerk in the Netherlands. Also participants from Aruba and Curacao are joining us in this event. We will inform you how it turned out in the October Entre Nous.
MASHA DANKI, what more can we say? Tourism Corporation Bonaire and Adams Unlimited would like to thank the many sponsors who came together to make the Wounded Warriors trip to Bonaire, August 11-18, a success. First and foremost, to Jack Chalk and the entire staff at Captain Don’s Habitat for donating accommodations and diving to the entire group of 20 PLUS both TV crews who came to document the Warriors’ dive certification. Thank you to Governor Herbert Domacasse and his wife, for welcoming the Warriors in their home and for hosting such a memorable event; to the Bonaire Talk Community for greeting the Warriors upon their arrival to Bonaire and for raising funds to cover the costs for meals, marine park tags and departure taxes; to RE/MAX Paradise Homes for sponsoring many meals; to Bonaire Tours & Vacations for providing endless transportation; to Kentucky Fried Chicken, Papaya Moon Cantina, Patagonia Argentinean Restaurant and Rum Runners for their gourmet meals; to Jewel of Bonaire for donating the generous gift certificates; to Bikers Bonaire for the royalty escorts; to Susan Davis for her photography services and excellent articles on the Bonaire Insider; to Capture Photo, for donating time and DVD’s to document the memorable trip for the Warriors, to Bencho Car Rental for donating one-week car rentals; to Scott & Sharon Barlass for the surprise gift bags; and to all others who made the Wounded Warriors trip to Bonaire fun, festive and one that will be remembered by all. Wounded Warriors in Bonaire Documented by Two TV Crews As a result of our media efforts to support the Wounded Warriors scuba certification trip to Bonaire, two segments will air on WPTV, the West Palm Beach, Florida NBC-TV affiliate. The segments will be part of the “Underwater Wednesdays” series airing as part of the 5:00PM news program on August 29 and September 5. The Wounded Warriors trip will be the focus of the first segment and the second segment will be solely dedicated to the Bonaire National Marine Park. Both stories can be viewed after they air online at www.wptv.com, which will post streaming video as well as a written story. Florida is one of the top markets for diving in the US, so these stories have an excellent potential to attract dive travelers to Bonaire! And stay tuned for more information about the second TV crew that joined the Wounded Warriors in Bonaire. We’ll have more information, including air dates, in the next issue of Entre Nous!DEMA Executive Director Tom Ingram Previews New Marketing Plan Last month while DEMA’s Executive Director Tom Ingram was on-Island, he met with stakeholders to preview the new DEMA Diver Acquisition Marketing Plan, which will be launched at this year’s DEMA Show, taking place October 31-November 3 in Orlando, FL. For more information on DEMA Show 2007, visit www.demashow.com. Delta Air Lines Delegation Visits Bonaire At the initiative of TCB-NYC, two delegates from Delta Air Lines, Ms. Jean Ellisor, Caribbean Route Planning and Jeanene Wilson, Caribbean Marketing traveled to Bonaire in August with Candice Kimmel with the objective of exploring the possibility of launching once a week Saturday 737-800 service to Bonaire in February 2008. The delegation met with both government and private sector stakeholders while they were on island, and expressed enthusiasm about taking the discussions to the next step.
As part of the ongoing press release program, Adams Unlimited researches, writes and prepares a steady stream of releases for mailings to the media for applicable editorial coverage based on editorial calendars and the need to disseminate timely news. In August, four press releases were written and distributed to the media. The first release announced the 40th Annual International Bonaire Sailing Regatta, the second announced the 7th Annual Bonaire Eco-Swim. The third press release included information about Bonaire hosting the Wounded Warriors for the second year in a row and the fourth press release included Fall and Winter hotel packages. We confirmed the press trip of Christine Goodier to attend the 40th Annual Bonaire International Sailing Regatta on assignment for All At Sea Magazine. All At Sea is distributed free in the United States and over 450 locations throughout the Caribbean and has a circulation of more than 40,000. We continued making arrangements for the press trip of Michael DeFreitas, a freelance travel writer/photographer to visit Bonaire on a one-on-one press trip September 23-30. Mr. Defreitas is on assignment for Diver Magazine (circulation 25,000), and will be gathering information and taking pictures for other upcoming articles. We continued making arrangements for the press trip of Mr. Eric Lucas, a freelance travel writer to visit Bonaire on a one-on-one press trip October 17-23. Mr. Lucas is on assignment for Texas Journey Magazine (circulation 718,000) and New Mexico Journey (circulation 102,000), and will be gathering information for other possible articles.Houston Chronicle (circulation 677,425) Bridal Guide (circulation 206,303) Travel Weekly (circulation 48,172) Travel Weekly (circulation 48,172) Perspective Magazine (circulation 6,474)
On September 29th, TAM airline launched its new operation from Sao Paulo to Caracas. With these flights, visitors can reach Bonaire through Caracas with Dutch Antilles Express flying twice a day via Curacao. Bonaire on the front page of DecoStop magazine Brazil As result of the recent visit to Bonaire by the underwater photographer Ary Amarante, the diving magazine in its July edition, featured a six page article highlighting Bonaire on its front page. More details of the press release in next entre nous.
After having writers from high level media visiting small properties on island, press releases are beginning to appear in the following newspapers and magazines of Venezuela (click on the images to enlarge):
The press release describes in detail the culture of the island, the outdoor activities where diving is the main attraction, gastronomy, how to get to Bonaire from Venezuela with the airline Dutch Antilles Express and specially how to make visitors feel at home by staying in small properties. During her stay, the journalist visited: Bonaire Ocean Front, Golden Reef, Coco Palm Garden, Caribbean Club, Eden Beach, Happy Holidays Home and Hotel Rochaline, giving a brief description which includes rates and webpages. Host Hotel: Bonaire Ocean Front.
KLM sponsors Ecuador press fam From August 30th to September 02nd, Bonaire hosted an important group of Journalists sponsored by KLM, TCB and hotels. More information of the press trip visit, in the upcoming issue of Entre Nous. 40th Regatta promoted in Venezuela! The specialized tourism magazines Gam & Gaceta in its Aug. edition sent Regatta info to travel agencies. The Regatta in Bonaire takes place Oct 07th / 13th. Keeping the promotion of Bonaire in new markets! Thanks to the internet, our office maintains promotional efforts to reach new markets in the region, such as Argentina, Panama, Chile among others, by contacting the diving and soft adventure segments. We continue building a stronger data base day by day. 2008 Work Plan for maximum results on marketing efforts We are already working on next year’s marketing plan, reviewing all the activities of the present year and working now to preview the planned marketing and promotional activities for 2008. We’re very optimistic with the airlift improvements in our main markets Brazil and Venezuela. They keep growing! Through our data base, the latest information of Bonaire is sent monthly to our trade partners and general consumers. The July issue focused on: Bonaire Ecoswin event, Dutch Antilles Express flights to Bonaire from Venezuela and Colombia, TAM Airline from Brazil announcing flights between Caracas and Sao Paulo, Plaza Resort latest news (new boat at Toucan Diving), Dive Friends Bonaire announces Spawning month, Bonaire option accommodations in fall. Ecuador Brazil Venezuela Colombia
Mangrove Info Center Premiers Guided Lac Bay Reef Snorkeling on Bonaire
Participants first meet at the Mangrove Info Center, where they’ll meet their guide. They’ll then continue on the short distance to Cai at Lac Bay. From Cai’s sandy beach, they may board the boat for the short ride to the reef at the mouth of Lac. Participants are allowed ample time to snorkel in the shallow water and a local guide is in the water to point out items of interest. The water in this location is exceptionally clear; coral heads grew close to the surface and healthy populations of fish are present. This new excursion is recommended only for strong snorkelers and those comfortable in the water, as strong surge can be experienced at certain times of the year. A maximum of ten participants ensures that all get individual attention. Divers will find this an exceptional new activity the afternoon of their last diving day, when they cease diving prior to flying. The cost for this new excursion is $42.50 per person, plus 5% sales tax. Reservations are highly recommended, and can be made by emailing info@mangrovecenter.com. Information about their other excursions is available on their web site by viewing www.mangrovecenter.com. The Mangrove Info Center is Bonaire’s only fully dedicated excursion company specializing in tours of the various areas of Lac Bay. They may be contacted by phone at +(599) 780-5353, via email at info@mangrovecenter.com, or visit their web site at www.mangrovecenter.com.
Note: Jan-Apr Harvest Period (C,E+T) (H)= Holiday Back to the top
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First Participants of TAP finish their courses this month!
Augusts’ issue of Bonaire EZ News was distributed to our database of consumers and travel agents on the 31st of the month. The issue featured information about upcoming Island events including Bonaire Dive Into Summer’s Love Our Planet Week, the 40th Annual International Bonaire Sailing Regatta and the 7th Annual Bonaire Eco-Swim.
Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, August 25, 2007: