If you’re looking for a beach, adventure and a bit of a city, the ‘Dutch’ ABC islands are the place to be. Settle down at one of the trendy beach bars, take a refreshing dip in the bright blue ocean or head out inland. We speak with Sharmin from Aruba Tourism Authority, Miles from Tourism Corporation Bonaire and Sharon Vassell from Curaçao Tourist Board.
Aruba Sharmin de Vries (PR manager Aruba Tourism Authority): ‘Aruba is doing well. We get a lot of visitors from all the markets where we operate. The flights from the Netherlands are also well filled, which is why early booking is absolutely recommended. With the arrival of new hotels, there is a strong focus on a good spread on the island. Earlier this year, Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba Resort near Eagle Beach opened its doors and Iberostar Grand Aruba Resort at Eagle Beach and the St Regis Aruba Palm Beach Resort are expected to open in 2024. Later, Secrets Baby Beach is also expected in the south. These hotels appeal to a wide audience in the upper class of wealth. Each hotel has its own signature. For example, Iberostar is an exclusive adults-only five-star hotel and the St Regis hotel appeals to people who want to enjoy pure wellness.’ Are there any new activities travelers can do? ‘Aruba has numerous new activities to introduce the active traveller to the special nature on the One happy island in an increasingly responsible way. Think of new eco-friendly tour operators, such as Salty Hikes and the Fins & Feet Tour. With Salty Hikes you will travel along beautiful nature reserves in the south and with the Fins & Feet Tour you will explore both the interior and our rich marine life in an eco-friendly way. The mountain bike trails on Aruba are also taking shape, making the island increasingly a top destination for avid mountain bikers. Electric bicycles are also becoming increasingly popular and can be used in various places.’ Bonaire Miles Mercera (CEO Tourism Corporation Bonaire): ‘Bonaire is doing well. The preliminary results indicate that Bonaire welcomed 13,525 overnight tourists in October 2023. Counting from January to October, Bonaire welcomed a total of 139,490 overnight visitors in 2023, surpassing the figures for the same period in 2019 (130,300) and 2022 (137,500). The Bonaire Regatta played an important role in October and attracted many visitors, especially from our sister islands. Compared to last year, 2022, Bonaire has received 1,844 visitors from Curaçao and 281 visitors from Aruba, while this year, 2023, welcomed 2,702 visitors from Curaçao and 380 visitors from Aruba, indicating a growing interest in the Bonaire Regatta and the influential role it plays in attracting visitors from neighboring islands. In October 2019, Bonaire welcomed 12,200 visitors. October 2023 therefore shows a striking increase. However, it’s worth noting that Bonaire welcomed 14,310 stay-at-home visitors in October 2022. This peak in October 2022 was directly impacted by the additional flight capacity of American Airlines (with three flights per week) and KLM’s Boeing 777 aircraft. TCB managed to reintroduce this additional seat capacity in November 2023 to compensate for the recent drop in seat availability in September and October 2023. The Netherlands and the United States are Bonaire’s two largest source markets for visitors, and they are both stable. In September 2023, 2,260 visitors from the United States made up 16.72% of the total number of overnight visitors, while 6,384 visitors from the Netherlands made up 47.24% of the total. It is striking that visitors from Curaçao have played a crucial role in tourism on Bonaire, with 2,702 visitors, or 19.98%, while Aruba contributed with 380 visitors, which accounts for 2.81% of the total. For the Dutch visitors, the most important provinces of origin were South Holland, North Holland and North Brabant. In addition, Bonaire welcomed 14,447 cruise visitors in September 2023. What new hotels will be on Bonaire? ‘Belnem House is a brand new boutique hotel with modern and luxurious apartments, penthouses and suites; The Bellafonte, a luxury boutique hotel, has recently undergone a major renovation; Delfins Beach Resort has added a dozen new three- and four-bedroom villas with private plunge pools to the resort; Captain Don’s Habitat has recently completed dozens of modern deluxe rooms and deluxe junior suites, located next to a brand new swimming pool; Plaza Beach & Dive Resort is currently remodeling and expanding with a new lobby, restaurant, spa, casino and shopping mall and in the process of room renovations. All of these hotels are located on the western coastline of Bonaire. Belnem House and The Bellafonte are located in Kralendijk, Belnem is a short walk from the sea and Bellafonte is right by the sea; Delfins is located by the sea and has its own beach, on the edge of the popular neighborhood of Belnem; Plaza is located a little more inland in the bowl of a lagoon, and has its own beach with direct access to the sea; Captain Don’s is located north of the capital Kralendijk, right by the sea.’
Curaçao Sharon Vassell (Trade Coordinator Curaçao Tourist Board): ‘The bookings to Curaçao are going very well. In addition to the regular daily flights of KLM and TUI, we have received extra flights from Corendon that started at the beginning of November. Until today (November 13, ed.), Curaçao has received 488,926 tourists, of which 175,630 are from the Netherlands. Hòfi Mango
‘It’s been almost a year since Hòfi Mango opened its doors to the public, but I still recommend this nature park. Previously, Hòfi Mango was a sugar cane plantation and the historic sugar mill is still present. Also on the site are remnants of a distillery from 1700 and more than 600 mango trees that are hundreds of years old. The site is now owned by the Curaçaoan/Dutch comedian Jandino Asporaat and it should become a place where both locals and tourists like to come to walk and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. While you’re there, be sure to visit the viewpoint where you can admire the sea, Hòfi Mango and the Christoffel Mountain.’
Electric Scooter ‘When you’re on the island, of course you want to visit our capital Willemstad. This can be done in many ways: on your own, in a tour or with a private guide. But did you know that it can also be done in an adventurous way, such as on an electric scooter? Various providers will take you through the colorful streets and tell you more about the rich history and contemporary street art. The electric scooters are safe, but just a bit faster than walking, so you can see a lot of the city in an environmentally friendly way.’ Read more in TravMagazine of week 47.
