Bonaire Is Having Its Best Summer Ever
Bonaire is seeing a surge in tourism this summer.
The island welcomed 16,653 stayover visitors in July 2025, according to newly released preliminary data from Tourism Corporation Bonaire — a 16.3 percent increase compared to July 2024, when 14,320 visitors arrived that’s the biggest summer growth the island has ever seen.
It’s a sign that this coudl be Bonaire’s strongest summer on record, driven by sustained growth from both European and North American markets.
The Netherlands remained the largest source market, accounting for 46.3 percent of all arrivals with 7,710 visitors. The United States was second, comprising 27.4 percent of total arrivals with 4,565 visitors.
Regional travel also remained strong, with 2,131 visitors from Curaçao, followed by Belgium (362), Aruba (278), Switzerland (196), Germany (174), Canada (163), Colombia (149), Brazil (119), and the United Kingdom (76).
Among U.S. travelers, most visitors arrived alone or with a partner. The majority cited vacation (50.2 percent) and diving (35.4 percent) as their main reasons for visiting. Hotels were the top lodging choice for U.S. visitors (52 percent), followed by villas (12.4 percent), private homes (7.2 percent), apartments (6.5 percent), and staying with relatives (4.3 percent).
The top five U.S. states of origin were New York, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and California. Visitors aged 45–54 made up the largest age group (20.2 percent), followed by those aged 55–64 (18.6 percent).
Dutch visitors primarily traveled with children or solo. Most came for vacation (75 percent) or to visit family and friends (8 percent). Lodging preferences included hotels (44 percent), apartments (14.8 percent), staying with relatives (10.9 percent), villas (9.1 percent), and private homes (6 percent).
The leading provinces of origin in the Netherlands were North Holland, South Holland, North Brabant, Gelderland, and Utrecht. The largest Dutch age groups were 45–54 (20.6 percent) and 18–24 (16.6 percent).
With robust growth across multiple markets, Bonaire is on pace for one of its strongest tourism summers in recent memory.
