Bonaire introduces a new tourist tax for non-residents.
As of July 1, 2022, a tourist tax of $75 per visit to Bonaire applies to all non-residents aged 13 and older. Children up to the age of 12 who are not residents and also residents of the former Netherlands Antilles pay $10 per visit to the island. There is an exemption for Bonairean students who study abroad. The tourist tax can be paid online in advance or upon arrival. The tourist tax for cruise passengers will also change from January 1, 2023. The current so-called ‘head-tax’ for cruise tourists will become a tourist tax of $10 per person. With the proceeds of the new tourist tax, tourists contribute to the development of Bonaire.
The draft Tourist Tax Ordinance was adopted in the Island Council decision-making on April 12. The proposed amendment was also adopted. This means that the new so-called ‘Entry Tax’ replaces the current ‘room tax’ and ‘car tax,’ whereby tourist tax must still be paid per person per night and when renting a car until July 1, 2022. With the current system, a tourist who stays nine days and rents a car together with one partner pays approximately US $67 in tourist tax and car rental tax. The introduction of the tourist tax fits within the vision of the Executive Council to position Bonaire as a high-quality destination for tourists. For example, the responsibility for paying the tourist tax is shifting from accommodation providers to non-residents. For cruise passengers who visit the island, the shipping company pays the tourist tax to the island.
The new regulation is expected to increase revenues for the island by more than $6 million per year. “The proceeds are mainly spent on improving the quality and sustainability of tourism on Bonaire. We focus on, among other things, training programs, cultural activities, and self-sufficiency for the residents of Bonaire. The introduction of this tax has been discussed for years, and this step would not have been possible without a stable island government with an unambiguous vision for the future of Bonaire.” said Deputy Hennyson Thielman. “With this we are a step further in a more proportional contribution between the inhabitants of Bonaire and the visitor for the use of public spaces and the development of Bonaire.”
The tourism sector has also responded positively to this change. “The tourism sector has been asking for a change in the collection system for more than 20 years because the current system leaves a lot to be desired. Attempts to change the old regulation have failed several times, but that has finally changed,” says BONHATA director Verushka de Windt.
