BONAIRE DOMINATES SCUBA DIVING MAGAZINE’S READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2011
**Bonaire Excels With 11 Awards Including #1 Top Overall Diving in the Caribbean/Atlantic**
Kralendijk, Bonaire (January 20, 2011) – The island of Bonaire has swept top honors receiving four #1 Ratings, which is more than any other destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic category, while continuing its reign as one of the world’s top dive destinations. For the ninth consecutive year, Bonaire has taken first place for Top Overall Diving in Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2011.
Bonaire received first place in three other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Top Health of Marine Environment, Top Macro Life and Top Shore Diving, and also received second place in seven other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Overall Destination, Value for Diving Dollar, Beginner Diving, Snorkeling, Visibility, Marine Life and Underwater Photography.
“It’s an honor to receive 11 awards and continue to be recognized by the readers of Scuba Diving magazine as one of the top diving destinations for nine consecutive years,” said Elvis Tjin Asjoe,” Commissioner of Tourism. “Bonaire is renowned for demonstrating a longstanding commitment to preserving and protecting the environment below the water, and these awards show us the results of our efforts. They inspire us to continue with our direction and remain leaders in sustainable tourism. Bonaire is truly the Diver’s Paradise.”
For the Readers’ Choice Awards, thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and web users rated their dive experiences on a scale of one to five. Results of the 2011 Awards will be featured in the January/February 2011 issue of Scuba Diving magazine.
Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, landsailing, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and seep sea and bone fishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.
Bonaire is the recipient of the prestigious Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award and continues to be recognized as one of the top destinations worldwide for its sustainable tourism and as one of the top diving destinations in the Atlantic/Caribbean for nine years in a row in the Scuba Diving magazine’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards. It was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as having the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean (January 2008), and as the Favorite Dive Destination in the World by About.com (June, 2008).
For more information on Bonaire contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE 1-800-BONAIRE or visit Bonaire’s official web site at www.tourismbonaire.com. Follow Bonaire on Twitter and Facebook.