By Sparty (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #171) on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 6:00 pm: |
Has the economic situation had any material effect on Bonaire yet? With the market dropping like a rock this week, it would seem like its only a matter of time until its effect hits Bonaire.
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By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #157) on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 6:08 pm: |
We paid $76 to fill up our 4-door Toyata pickup 10 days ago there with about 1/8 of a tank remaining, so fuel prices aren't dropping like they are in the U.S. I think fuel prices are set more by the NA government than by the free market.
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By Dan Jolly (BonaireTalker - Post #61) on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 6:58 pm: |
From what I hear on the island the economy is stable and not as affected by events as in the US. Gas prices certainly are in the $6-7 per gallon range as I recall from October. There is talk of real estate prices leveling off but construction is proceeding rather rapidly from what I saw. I can not say I have seen any dramatic changes in the last 4 years. So long as the world's economy does not tank dramatically people will find the funds to get to BON and dive so the economic basis of the island still seems bright and stable.
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By Susan Davis, InfoBonaire, Bon. Insider (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #271) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 6:51 am: |
Regular gas is still about $5.85-ish and premium is $6.01. There's been no corrections in on-island gas prices since oil's dropped.
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By Sparty (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #172) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 5:23 pm: |
I'm surprised that there hasn't been some slow down in tourism. Maybe people are just following thru with tickets purchased far in advance. It will be interesting to see what happens by spring if there is not some good news on the economic front. If people have quit buying cars, houses, and etc., it only seems that they will not be taking expensive vacations either. Our tickets are paid for so we will still be coming in Feb. However, if the tickets weren't paid for, I would probably hang on to the cash.
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By Ann Phelan - www.bonairecaribbean.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3485) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 6:05 pm: |
My take is this: Bonaire is a specialty dive destination as well as a windsurf destination. Folks who dive and windsurf are pretty much passionate if not obsessive. Their economic background is such that they have the means to travel and will continue to do so. It is my impression that other Caribbean destinations may suffer economically more than an island that has a niche such as Bonaire. That is my two cents.
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By Vince DePietro (Bonaire Beach Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1771) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 6:32 pm: |
Annie..I think you hit the nail on the head. I quite agree with your assessment. Which is why it's so extremely important to take care of her reefs. If I had but one wish for Bonaire it would be the completion of the waste treatment plant.
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By Peter (BonaireTalker - Post #50) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 6:43 pm: |
We booked our flights for next Easter back in May, so we'll still be coming. However, we live in England and the change so far in the exchange rate (US$ to British Pound) means that our holiday will be costing 35-40% more than we expected! Next Easter will be our 5th trip in 3 years - I can't see that we'll be visiting so often in the future, if at all.
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By Nicnac (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 7:13 pm: |
Ditto, we're from the UK and would love to come back next year, but we can do a week's liveaboard in the Red Sea for half the price. Not as good, but...
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By Liz .... back to Bon (1/3-1/10) (BonaireTalker - Post #94) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:01 pm: |
Well.....even with the economy crashing and burning around us here on the West Coast, we just made plans last week to visit Bonaire in January. We dove Puget Sound for the first time a few weeks ago, and both realized how much we missed warm-water diving and Bonaire particularly.
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By a retired Grunt, back in May (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #660) on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:39 pm: |
I retired September 1st. I am now on a somewhat fixed income. I have a credit card that earns Continental miles. I am using it to fly from Sacramento via Minneapolis then Newark and on to Bonaire. If I had to pay full fare, as I am for my wife, it would be a big consideration as making the trip. We are starting to look at places closer to home,like La Paz Mexico, as alternative dive destinations. Bonaire is the finest dive destination, for what it is, that I have ever visited. This will be my 10th year visiting Bonaire. Having said that, yes cost will be a consideration as to future visits.
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By ****Tink**** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7733) on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 11:47 am: |
I was having lunch with a peep the other day. She just got tickets to Oahu for 250 round trip from SNA. She asked me what a plane ticket cost from SNA or LAX to BON...I said around a grand (cheapest I've ever gotten was 739, and that was in 2003). She said "geez, you could go to Australia for that!" I said, I know, but you've never been to Bonaire...I'll take Bon over Australia any day...lol!
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By Nicnac (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 11:59 am: |
Yep, it's definitely the cost of the flights that is the limiting factor rather than the cost of services on the island. To quote Orville "I wish I could fly.."
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By Cecil* (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7042) on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 12:20 pm: |
I just checked flights for a potential March trip and it was $735 r/t from Boston which is a pretty good price considering what it was a few months back.
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By TreknRobin (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 1:34 pm: |
I just purchased non-stop tickets from JFK for February for $588. Even at this price the only way I could afford the trip was to use airline miles for the tickets. This will be our first trip to Bonaire, and from everything I've read here (thanks!) it will be well worth it.
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By Dave Goodwin (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #419) on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 2:27 pm: |
I can't imagine NOT making at least an annual pilgrimage to Bonaire. Our internal clock is pretty much set at a trip every 9 months....
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