We'll be (sadly, but somewhat angrily as well) going somewhere else.
In one of those crime threads I said the day would come when that final straw would be loaded onto the camel. The day has come.
(dammit wwguy, you didn't have to post that TODAY and get me all stirred up)
I'm with you brother. We'll be arriving on Bonaire a week from today for our 10th annual 3 week Christmas trip, which will likely be our last trip for the foreseeable future. At the end of this trip we'll have spent (literally) a total of 37 weeks on Bonaire over the past 21 years. I think it's time to look for someplace else to spend our hard-earned vacation time and money.
We love Bonaire, but she hasn't been loving us back for quite a while now. Island government and TCB (the tourism board) are trying to create a tourism industry that will most likely destroy everything that makes Bonaire so special.
Below are some pertinent snippets quoted from the Executive Summary section of
TCB's recently published Strategic Tourism Plan (bold font added by me for emphasis):
"
Currently, the tourism industry underperforms for the economic welfare of the majority of Bonaire’s residents. Although the tourism industry could provide Bonaire with economic opportunities for the majority of residents, the
professional opportunities linked to tourism have not transpired. This is largely due to two main reasons. The first reason being that
natural conservation efforts have displaced development that could provide professional and educational opportunities for Bonairians. This has resulted in a dilution of Bonairian culture where nearly 60% of the island’s population was not born in Bonaire. Bonairians have transplanted to other countries to seek opportunities. The second reason is that
the tourism sector does not contribute to the economic wellbeing of the majority of residents but rather contributes to a select few."
"Many residents and industry stakeholders feel that the tourism industry can direct and improve the future of the island. In order for this to occur,
there must be changes in the distribution of the economic benefits to increase their reach to local households; as well as the industry must be capable of stimulating changes in Bonairians’ quality of life."
"While Bonaire has struggled with the concept of growth,
it is clear that the local people would like to see continued tourism development"
"The plan also addresses prominent challenges that Bonaire’s tourism industry will face when
converting the tourism industry into an economic engine that serves all of Bonaire. These challenges include: a significant increase in competition within the Caribbean, Bonaire’s competitive position has waned over time,
an underperforming mainstay tourist segment (scuba divers), the need for a diversified tourism product portfolio, inadequate pricing of eco-tourism related activities, the need for an improved accommodation sector, and improved accessibility."
"The tourism industry is expected to become the most strategic sector in the local economy by 2021, reaching nearly 45% from its current 20% level of the total economy."
"This plan aims to increase tourist arrivals by 60,000 from its baseline of 140,000 to 200,000 arrivals over the next ten years. This growth entails a 5% increase per year on average."
"The attraction of these additional
60,000 new arrivals should support the objective of converting Bonaire to a high-end destination, which means that at least 20,000 arrivals should stay in four star hotels on the island. These four star hotels should include in total
at least 600 new hotel rooms."
"While Bonaire’s focus on natural conservation strategies and efforts has delivered a positive sustainable image for Bonaire there has also been some unintended consequences. That is,
the central focus on sustainability was defined as environmental protection without sustainable consideration for people’s welfare. In other words, the narrow focus on the environment has stunted development to the detriment of the local population."
"However, there are some major challenges facing Bonaire’s tourism industry. Competition within the Caribbean has significantly increased while
Bonaire’s competitive position seems to have waned over time. This may be due to the underperformance of Bonaire’s mainstay market segment (divers). The diving market is not sufficiently growing to carry the island’s economy forward. The accommodation sector is in urgent need of updating its current inventory. And, the destination is lacking a more diversified tourism product portfolio."
"Furthermore,
Bonaire’s tourism activities rely on the consumption of natural resources, which by their nature are public or free goods that are based on an unlimited use of environmental assets. These natural assets are mainly unpriced and are subject to overuse and abuse. The stagnating diving segment , the constraints and the costs incurred by the sustainable model, the mainly free consumption of natural resources and under leveraging of nature, and the need for new opportunities converge at a challenging crossroad.
The destination is underselling the value of its product."
"For too long Bonaire’s development vision was grounded on a narrow vision of nature first. This narrow vision has shaped and hindered the frontier of possibility for Bonairians. The time has come to broaden this vision for people and nature to live in harmony by way of a blue economy."
There's more, but I'm too bummed out to keep reading, copying, and pasting. You all probably get the gist by now, but feel free to read through it for yourselves.
