Kralendijk, Bonaire – The Tourism Corporation Bonaire today confirms that Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes will be leaving her job as the Director of Tourism at the end of this year to assume the position of CEO at the Aruba Tourism Authority.
An Aruban native, Tjin Asjoe-Croes has held her post in Bonaire since 2005. “It has been a very exciting time to be in Bonaire as we went through the building process to increase airlift from our key source markets and achieve the highest ever number of inbound visitors in 2007, to the challenges of the recession and then onward to the change in our constitutional status. I am very proud of the work that was accomplished by the entire Bonairean tourism industry, and especially the partnership that was forged between the public and private sector stakeholders,” said Tjin Asjoe-Croes.
Highlights of her tenure as the Director of Tourism include: tourism arrivals achieving their highest level of growth (17%) in 2007; two legacy carriers from the US, Continental and Delta and the Dutch charter carrier ArkeFly commencing service to the island; increasing cruise tourism from 50,000 passengers to 250,000 passengers; developing and implementing a global branding; launching a new website, www.tourismbonaire.com, in English, Dutch and Spanish; integrating an online and social media strategy into the marketing plan and completing an extensive three year Tourism Awareness Program providing free training to the island’s entire population.
Speaking of her pending departure, TjinAsjoe-Croes emphasized that there will be a continuity of policy and programs made possible by the management structure of the TCB today and the experience level of the overseas offices. “Our marketing plans and budgets were presented and approved in October and our offices are each moving forward with the aggressive implementation of their individual programs for 2011. I feel confident that Bonaire will go into the 2011 peak season with a strong market presence unimpeded by the search for my successor,” she concluded.
“We wish Ronella every success in her new role,” remarked Elvis Tjin Asjoe, the Commissioner of Tourism, “based on her many achievements here in Bonaire, we know she will do well with the challenges afforded by her new job. Aruba is fortunate to have retained an executive of this caliber. While we will miss her in Bonaire, Ronella, her team and the TCB Board of Directors have put in place a governance structure that will allow a smooth transition to a new Director.”
