The Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) earlier this week at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino. At this yearly meeting the members come together to approve the financial budget for the upcoming year and review activities done during the last year. The membership also received information on how they are represented in government related topics such as airlift, social dialogue and the strategic tourism plan.
At the beginning of the meeting the members received their opening speech from Irene Dingjan, the CEO of BONHATA and were also welcomed by Eric Gietman, President of the Board of Directors. The BONHATA staff shared with the members the results of the I Love Bonaire campaign which is designed to promote the businesses which fall under the BONHATA organization and who share their interest and common goals by joining forces towards a sustainable growth of our tourism sector, the main pillar of Bonaire’s economy. This shared goal is best described in BONHATA’s mission statement “To promote, support and empower its members through cooperation with one unified voice.”
“Marketing deserves most of our attention and efforts”, continued Irene Dingjan, “since this brings our members more business.” A shift towards e-marketing and direct marketing was made about two years ago and the results show we are on the right track. Marketing tools such as a responsive and interactive website, social media and creating targeted online campaigns are key in reaching our goals. The launch of the I love Bonaire video which attracts viewers with “You too will lose your heart to the island of Bonaire” is a big hit on YouTube and expresses exactly why Bonaire is blessed with so many repeat visitors. The evening continued with a member social during which members and invitees had the opportunity to network and share ideas in a more informal setting.
BONHATA has been on the forefront of the Tourism and Hotel industry since it has been founded in 1980 and is recognized by the National and Island Government of Bonaire along with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). BONHATA’s association consists of members in the hotel industry and tourism sector in general and is comprised by resorts, hotels, apartments, villas, dive- and activity providers, car rentals, restaurants and all other tourism related companies on and off-island, including Bonaire specialized tour operators and major airlines.
The Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association will continuously pursue new challenges and goals to support her members. Tourism is key to Bonaire’s economy and BONHATA will continue to serve her membership. For more information about BONHATA please contact us at 717-5134 or mail to info@bonhata.org.