***New TCB Team Members Bring Energy, Education, and Experience***

Kralendijk (March 14, 2017) – Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) is pleased to announce the addition of several new team members to the organization’s Marketing and Product Development teams.  These new staff bring their energy and advanced educations to augment the experience and knowledge of the current team.  TCB welcomes Xenah Cicilia, Emilayla Coffi, and Marjolein Oleana.

Xenah Cicilia is working as Cruise Operations & Product Development Coordinator.  She began her employment with TCB on 25 July, 2016, and, since that time, has accomplished much in consolidating the infrastructure of the cruise tourism product.  She is available when ships are in port to insure all goes smoothly for the experience of visiting cruise tourists.

Ms. Cicilia completed her Bachelor’s Degree in International Business at the University of Curacao.  Born and raised on Curacao, but with family originating from Bonaire, she always considered Bonaire her second home.  Now, with her work at TCB, she has made it her first home.

Ms. Cicilia states, “My near-term goal is to organize the cruise tourism product so that it continues to run efficiently, without the constant supervision of any one person.  To this end, I am actively seeking to expand the role which TCB currently fulfills in cruise tourism.”  Ms. Cicilia hopes that all can be in place by the end of 2017.

Ms. Cicilia can assist with fluent English, Dutch, Papiamentu and Spanish.

Emilayla Coffi began employment at TCB on 23 January, 2017 as a Marketing Assistant. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, after which she continued her education with a variety of internships and international exchange programs (St. Martin, Barcelona, Orlando, and London), each adding to her global outlook.  Ms. Coffi completed her Master’s Degree at Monroe College in New York, specializing in Executive Hospitality in Leadership and Sustainable Tourism.   Throughout her studies, Ms. Coffi always held additional employment in the hospitality sector and brings that experience to TCB.

“Tourism is very important to Bonaire, and I truly believe that for it to have positive results on the island we must develop alternative/sustainable strategies. Sustainable tourism is only possible when this industry is being managed in such a way that it minimalizes the negative impacts on the community and the environment to balance the economic benefits of a destination. A sustainable tourism industry also sustains the necessity of actual developments without harming the ability for the future generation to meet its own” Ms. Coffi explained.

Born and raised on Curacao, Ms. Coffi has enjoyed her relocation to Bonaire. Ms. Coffi is responsible for assisting the daily marketing operations, ensuring of effective marketing campaigns, organizing and assisting of familiarization trips and press releases and assisting with surveys, research and analysis of marketing reports. She looks forward to representing Bonaire at international conferences and conventions.

Ms. Coffi is fluent in English, Dutch, Papiamentu and Spanish.

Marjolein Oleana started with TCB on 1 February, 2017 and is the organization’s most recent addition working in the position of Office Manager and Marketing Assistant. Born in the Netherlands and raised on Bonaire, she continued her studies for nine years in Rotterdam, completing Bachelor’s Degrees in both Hotel Management and Office Management. Ms. Oleana is now happy to have returned to her home.

Ms. Oleana states, “With only a few week’s experience at TCB, I am still very much in the learning process and I’m gathering valuable knowledge that will assist me in completing my goals.  There are large cultural differences between the European Netherlands and Bonaire, and so I must adapt and learn.  My colleagues at TCB are of great assistance.”

Ms. Oleana also brings practical experience to her work at TCB, having worked full-time for the French hotel chain, AccorHotels, in both reservations and as the assistant to the office manager at the Headquarters.

With her education and practical experience in these fields, Ms. Oleana is ably suited to fulfill her duties at TCB, which include assisting with all marketing projects and events, such as the Taste of Bonaire, as well as managing the office to keep it running efficiently.  Her initial goals are to increase safety, both for visiting tourists as well as the staff at TCB. With Bonaire’s tourism growing, Ms. Oleana feels it is vitally important that everyone involved in the cruise tourism product be trained and able to assist in an emergency. She is working on coordinating trainings of AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) BLS (Basic Life Support) and In-House Emergency Service for TCB staff.

She hopes to introduce additional training for TCB staff, which will only make the interactions with Bonaire’s visitors more pleasant.

Ms. Oleana can assist visitors in English, Papiamentu and Dutch. She speaks some Spanish and German, and is looking forward to adding French to her language skills.

Director of Tourism, Maurice Adriaens, is very happy with the skills, education, and energy which the new team members bring to TCB.   He states, “My concept is to stay current in the modern times for tourism.  There is so much that can be accomplished for marketing within the digital world, and who better than our young people to spearhead that effort.  It’s important to give our youth the chance to prove themselves, and what better opportunity than to garner that practical experience at TCB.”

TCB wishes to extend its best wishes and welcome to the new team members.

For more information please contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire at +599 717-8322 or email info@tourismbonaire.com.