Bonaire does not have to start a conversation about tourism vision from zero.
In 2017, the island adopted the Strategic Tourism Master Plan 2017–2027. Its horizon was ten years, linking tourism development to a broader ambition for Bonaire and bringing people, nature and economic development into the same conversation.
That horizon is now almost behind us.
The timing matters. An island economy cannot wait until one vision expires before beginning to think about the next. Businesses make investments years ahead. Infrastructure takes time to plan and build. People make decisions about careers, homes and businesses based partly on what they expect the island to become.
Long-term vision therefore has an economic value of its own.
But long-term vision should not mean rigidity. A strong vision sets direction while leaving enough flexibility for diversification, innovation and developments that may not have been anticipated when the plan was written.
Short-term vacation rentals are a good example. Their rapid expansion has changed tourism and housing markets in destinations around the world. Whatever position is taken on their growth, they demonstrate how quickly new business models can alter an island economy. A ten-year vision must therefore be strong enough to provide direction, but flexible enough for government to respond when circumstances change.
Tourism markets evolve, new types of businesses emerge and visitor interests change. Bonaire should be able to respond without losing sight of its long-term priorities.
It is also important to be clear about responsibility.
Tourism organisations such as BONHATA can represent their sector, contribute knowledge, identify challenges and participate in discussions about Bonaire’s future. Businesses can invest, innovate and create opportunities. But neither determines the overall direction of the island.
That responsibility ultimately lies with government.
Government establishes the policy and regulatory framework within which development takes place. Decisions about spatial planning, infrastructure, housing, permits and broader economic policy require public authority and must consider interests beyond any single sector.
For the tourism industry, clarity about that direction matters. Entrepreneurs and investors make better long-term decisions when they understand the framework within which Bonaire intends to develop. Uncertainty, changing rules or the absence of clear direction can make investment more difficult and encourage short-term decisions instead.
This is especially important for a small island.
Choices made in one area quickly affect another. A new development may create economic activity but also require roads, utilities and workers. New tourism products may create opportunities but also require training and investment. Protecting particular areas may influence where future development can take place.
A long-term vision helps connect those decisions before they become separate problems.
Bonaire’s 2017–2027 tourism vision was created for a particular moment. Since then, the island, the tourism market and the world around us have changed. The next vision will have to respond to a different reality while retaining the ability to look beyond immediate pressures.
That does not mean predicting exactly what Bonaire will look like ten or twenty years from now. No plan can do that.
It means establishing enough direction to know where we want to go, while leaving enough flexibility to adapt how we get there.
As 2027 approaches, the opportunity is therefore not simply to produce another tourism document. It is to establish a clear public direction for the next chapter of Bonaire’s development, with government setting the framework and the tourism sector, community and other stakeholders contributing their knowledge and experience.
A vision tells us where we intend to go.
Whether plans ultimately become reality is another matter, and one we will return to later in this series.
Tourism OUR Future –is a BONHATA editorial series exploring the role of tourism in shaping Bonaire’s future through a structured roadmap of articles on the economy, sustainability, governance and community.