NEW BONAIRE AMBASSADORS!

John Henry Levin, Chicago, Illinois, USA

John, at ten years of age, receives his 10-year bronze award!

Neil Stern, Texas, USA

Dr. Neil Stern hails from Arlington (near Dallas), Texas, where he is Vice President of Administration and Accreditation for Parker College of Chiropractic. When we first asked Neil what kept him coming back to Bonaire, he replied, "I had to stop and think about what first brought me here fourteen years ago. I made my first trip here with my instructors, Paul and Bob, on one of their trips. Well that was it! I fell in love with the island, the people, and the diving that week." What is Bonaire?

"Bonaire is all of the above and more, much more. The incredible service of Lions Dive Resort and the 24-hour-a-day diving freedom at Bon Bini Divers--all of these things have kept me coming back year after year and again next year in 2004! I cannot imagine going anywhere else. I am honored and humbled to be named an Ambassador."

To see more of Bonaire's Bronze, Silver, or Gold Ambassadors, visit http://www.bonaireambassador.com !

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TCB-NEW YORK REPORT

BONAIRE'S VOICE IS HEARD

Joining over 35 participants, including National Tourist Officers and Public Relations firms, Lisa Blau attended the July 30th PR Council Meeting hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organization at USA Today's Board Room in New York. A variety of topics were discussed including a recap of Caribbean Week, cooperative efforts to promote travel to the Caribbean in the Fall, upcoming events like the Sustainable Tourism Conference and CTC-26, the upcoming CTO Road Shows which will include radio promotions, as well as ongoing projects with USA Today. Calls for news from destinations and hotels were made by the CTO and in response, as the representative for Bonaire, Mrs. Blau alerted meeting attendees to the new air service that was soon to be launched in Bonaire (BonairExel).

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Each Fall many of the top newpapers in the U.S. publish a Caribbean round-up section that highlights various topics including romance, honeymoons, family vacations, cuisine and water sports. To date we have been in touch with many of these newspapers including the New York Times and USA Today, and are working closely with them to provide information on Bonaire for possible inclusion. You may have seen a number of requests for information come across your computers lately. Thanks to all who provide information.

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Since putting out the word that BonairExel would begin flying between Bonaire and Curacao and Aruba, TCB-New York has received a number of calls and emails from travel agents and consumers inquiring about the new service. All were very excited about this news, with many interested in finding out how to go about booking flights.

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Caribbean Travel & Life's annual Best of the Caribbean awards are underway and Bonaire has been nominated! Bonaire has been honored with nominations in three categories: Dive Destination, Undiscovered Destination and Snorkeling Destination. Outlined in the October 2003 issue, which will hit newsstands on September 15, the awards will also be online by August 29. Readers of the print or online version of the magazine (http://www.caribbeantravelmag.com) can vote until November 1, 2003 and the results will be announced in the March, "Best of the Caribbean" issue.

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TCB-SOUTH AMERICA REPORT

BONAIREXEL CONNECTING THE SOUTH AMERICAN MARKETS

With the beginning of BonairExel operation, the South American markets that have been on hold awaiting better air connections to reach Bonaire, will be reactivated.

We feel proud that today it is a reality for the island of Bonaire to have its official airline and we all have great expectations in the near future that with adequate itineraries, attractive fares and agreements with the official airlines (Varig, Aerolineas Argentinas, Avianca, Aeropostal among them), it will attract again potential markets such as Brazil, the giant of South America with a population of about 200,000 divers who in the past have gone through great effort to reach Bonaire via Caracas.

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July 27th El Nacional
On July 27th, the tourism issue of El Nacional featured a four page article with 16 beautiful pictures of Bonaire entitled "Bonaire un tesoro oculto en el profundo Caribe" and "More than 80 dive sites are only a sample of its universe"; these two titles were accompanied by a big full color picture (half page size) of the journalist and her divemaster Leo, from Harbour Village, on her first experience diving.

In this first article (the second one will be running soon), the journalist gives an overview of the different eco-adventure activities on island such as diving, windsurfing, mountain biking and kite surfing. She highlights an island rich in history, wildlife and fauna, and also featured hotels, emphasizing Bella Fonte de la Mer, her host hotel. She gives an interesting description of all this property has to offer to its visitors; besides Bella Fonte she mentions Harbour Village, Plaza Resort and Captain Don’s Habitat.

The article closes with important information about how to get to Bonaire by DCA via Curacao either spending some hours at the airport or sleeping one night in Curacao, as she did in her trip.

Aug. 03rd Guía Turística El Universal
The August 3, 2003 tourism section of El Universal newspaper featured two pages written by journalist Oscar Medina on Bonaire. He is also a diver who spent a few days island touring, visiting hotels and experiencing diving and windsurfing. The article was also introduced on the front page as a guide with a beautiful, large color photo of Bonaire titled "Bonaire Divers paradise", and focused on Bonaire as a destination that has set the standard for world class diving and highlighting the eco-adventure activities mountain biking, kayaking and windsurfing under the titles "Bonaire shows other faces."

Information on Plaza Resort as his host hotel was included along with Lions Dive, Buddy Dive, Divi Flamingo, Kontiki, Belmar, Sorobon Beach Resort and Sand Dollar. Accompanying the article were five full color photos. Also included was a section called "Lo que hay que saber" with information about currency and flights to Bonaire with DCA via Curaçao as well as the good news about BonairExel starting air operations soon as the official airline of the island.

Thanks to everyone in Bonaire, who made both of these press visits a roaring success!

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In the month of August, the island continued to be promoted thanks to the success of our seminars V Edition Discover Bonaire & I Edition Discovery Scuba that took place last July.

In Venezuela the specialized travel magazines GAM and Gaceta Aérea had special coverage about this event that motivated the travel agencies and tour operators, who have indicated much interest in our program "A Diver in each Travel Agency" being implemented, to call. This is an incentive program developed by TCB in Venezuela to familiarize travel agents with our natural diving segment.

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An annual Colombian magazine directed towards divers, has sent us a nice letter certifying that the Island of Bonaire, since 1999, has won the best advertising space in its blue pages. (Contact flamingorep@telcel.net.ve to see winner’s artwork).

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A new list of tour operators suggested by KLM Quito is being added to our Data Base and then contacted to open this productive market in the promotion of Bonaire. For further information about the tour operators, contact Yasmin at flamingorep@telcel.net.ve.

Recently we received the sad news about the death of Mr. Reinhard Wiese, the president of Surland and main official KLM tour operator for the market; a man well known in the aviation world and also the tourism industry, whom since the beginning of the KLM flights from Ecuador to Bonaire, contacted the hotels and TCB in South America looking for support to start the promotion in their market. He was very optimistic about our pristine destination since it already relied on KLM’s prestigious services on the route.

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We are already into next year's marketing plan, revising all the activities of the present year and working now to preview the planned marketing and promotional activities of 2004, which will be a decisive year in the positioning of Bonaire in our markets.

We are very optimistic. With good air connections, attractive rates and economic resources for the permanent promotional execution of activities in the potential markets, we will notably increase the number of visitors to Bonaire. Our main focus will be centered in Peru and Ecuador with non-stop flights by KLM. Also the operation of BonairExel very soon in Venezuela will permit Caracas connections, not only with Colombia, but also with Brazil, the country with the greatest diver population in the region (almost 200,000).

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NEWS FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR