KRALENDIJK – The Executive Council of the Public Entity Bonaire (OLB) has presented the concept that should lead to the introduction of a new tourist tax that is levied once upon entry.

With the new draft regulation it is proposed to replace the current tourist tax and car rental tax with one new tourist tax, which is collected once a year from every non-resident.

The visitor is motivated to pay in advance via an online environment. Control takes place at the airport and in the port. The BC expects the proceeds from that tax to be significantly higher than several other taxes, which are currently being levied, but which many companies manage to avoid rather easily.

Improvement

The increased revenue from this newly proposed tourist tax as the government is expected to also enable the BC to invest in the quality and sustainability of Bonaire’s tourism product.

Rate

The suggested rate is $50 per person per year. A lower rate of $10 per person per year applies for children up to and including 12 years of age and for residents of the 5 islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. In addition, an exemption has been proposed for Bonairean students studying outside the island. A rate of USD 10 per person is proposed for the cruise tourists. This amount, like the current headtax, is paid by the shipping company. A large majority of cruise lines have expressed support for the proposed increase in talks.

Introduction

Initially, the intention was to have the new tourist tax for overnight tourists come into effect on 1 January 2022. On closer inspection, this date was not met. The introduction date depends on an agreement in the Island Council, after which another 2-3 months are needed to put it properly on the market.