WILLEMSTAD, KRALENDIJK – The Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) is facing serious scrutiny after it was revealed that the organization made financially irresponsible promises to airlines in order to attract new routes to the island — without having secured funding to back those deals.
According to reports, in 2023 TCB entered into extensive agreements with multiple airlines, offering to compensate for any underperformance in passenger revenue — all without the necessary financial coverage. As TCB operates under the direct authority of the island’s public administration (OLB), any financial fallout from these agreements ultimately becomes the responsibility of the government.
The most costly case involves the American budget airline JetBlue. Bonaire currently faces a $4.1 million liability stemming from that deal alone. However, projections suggest that the damage could rise to $12.3 million over the course of this year and next. The Executive Council of Bonaire is now trying to negotiate an early termination of the agreement with JetBlue to avoid paying the remaining $8.2 million.
While it's not uncommon for tourist destinations with many vacant hotel rooms to entice airlines with so-called “seat guarantees,” the financial risk involved makes the method controversial — especially when such promises are made without budgetary oversight or legislative approval.
Concerns have also been raised by the Board of Financial Supervision (Cft). In a meeting on June 24 with Bonaire’s Executive Council, Cft Chair Lidewijde Ongering expressed deep concern over the island's participation policy, citing TCB’s “unfunded commitments” as a clear example of mismanagement.
JetBlue currently operates two weekly round-trip flights between New York and Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport, offering fares as low as $198 — roughly half the price of competing airlines. When the inaugural flight landed on November 5, 2023, it was celebrated with great fanfare. Then-TCB director Miles Mercera called it “an important milestone for us.”
It remains unclear whether Clark Abraham, Bonaire’s current Commissioner for Tourism and Finance, was aware of the financial implications of the agreement when he participated in a promotional video celebrating the launch of the JetBlue route — a deal that has since turned out to be alarmingly expensive.
As the island attempts to mitigate the potential financial blow, questions are growing louder about oversight, accountability, and the risks of chasing tourism growth at any cost.
