BONHATA and KvK Bonaire graduate first cohort of locally trained tourism entrepreneurs
Jeanny Sint Jago will receive $10,000 in business development support to build a nighttime stargazing tourism experience on Bonaire, after being named the winner of the BONHATA Tourism Business Academy Final Pitch on June 20. Her concept was selected by an independent jury from five proposals presented by six graduating participants at the Chamber of Commerce in Kralendijk.
The win marked the conclusion of the first edition of the BONHATA Tourism Business Academy a seven-week entrepreneurship program developed by the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA) and the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Bonaire to grow the number of locally owned businesses active in the island’s tourism sector.
Growing the island’s entrepreneurial base
Bonaire’s tourism sector continues to grow. The BONHATA Tourism Business Academy was developed to ensure that growth creates opportunities for local entrepreneurs and expanding the base of Bonaire-based businesses that participate in and benefit from the island’s tourism economy. Built on the KvK Academy format and a curriculum developed by the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, (RVO) and adapted by BONHATA to the local tourism context, the program provides aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with the structured knowledge and tools to launch and grow viable tourism businesses.
“The intent is practical and measurable,” said BONHATA. “We want to see new businesses registered, new products developed, and new members joining the industry. The Tourism Academy is how we build that pipeline.”
Eleven modules, seven weeks, five concepts
Over the course of the program, 8 participants completed eleven core training modules covering customer profiling, value proposition design, marketing and communication, CRM, revenue models, key resources and partnerships, financing, taxation, and business plan development. Sessions combined theory with practical assignments and guest lectures from Bonaire-based tourism and business professionals.
Six participants advanced to the Final Pitch Presentations, presenting five distinct business concepts and one developed and presented as a duo. The jury received no advance materials; every concept was presented live for the first time on June 20, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Jury members evaluated each pitch on six criteria: innovation, feasibility, concept development, relevance to Bonaire’s tourism sector, presentation clarity, and communication skills. The panel included representatives from KvK Bonaire, Tourism Corporation Bonaire, Grand Windsock Bonaire, and Dive Friends Bonaire.
The winning concept
Jeanny Sint Jago’s proposal centers on structured stargazing experiences, nighttime tourism that draws on Bonaire’s dark skies and positions the island as a destination for a growing segment of travelers seeking astronomy-based travel. The jury selected her concept as the strongest across all evaluation criteria.
Sint Jago receives $10,000 in business development support to advance the concept toward launch.
Following the jury’s announcement, all six participants received certificates of completion at a ceremony held at the Delfins Beach Resort Event Center.