Does the perception of crime or safety affect your travel plans?

[pilot fish]

While this new series of burglaries is being sorted out I intend to use resort facilities for a while,...- gypsy

Not everyone is ignoring reality. I'm gratified to see even some of the Bonaire clique changing their plans to avoid being a crime victim on Bonaire.

 

[pilot fish]

Ha Ha..This thread causing me to change my mind? Don't count on it. I am not affected by the prattle of what a few folks post (who in reality certainly appear to have a psychopathological disorder resulting in their obsessive behavior of Bonaire bashing); who have little experience on Bonaire & evidently know a lot less. It does appear to me that some on this board really need a job or as they say in street vernacular; "need to get a life".

We've been to Bonaire many many times and frankly I hope to return many many more times in the future.

Well, yeah, you own rental condos there so you kind of have to go there to check to see if you are still makng a profit, and to spend some of that profit you've earned from tourist divers.

 

[DiveMaven]

Has this thread caused anyone to change their travel plans and not go to Bonaire.

People who were plannng on going to Bonaire, not people who never had plans to go there.

If you have been there would you go again.

Have 2 weeks planned in July and can't wait! Actually, when our Fiji trip this summer got cancelled, we immediately thought of Bonaire and booked. This will be our third 2-week trip to Bonaire in 3 years.

This recent crime "spree" definitely bothers me, but I have confidence that Liz is telling the truch 100% and the criminals have been caught. I refuse to live my life in fear, thus I'll take my normal travel precautions and my normal Bonaire precautions (windows down, nothing in truck) and enjoy my 2 weeks on Bonaire without any worries.

 

[pilot fish]

The crime on Bonaire should bother everyone, obviously it doesn't. The reason I C&P'd that horror story, from 2004, is to illustrate how the same types of crimes are still occuring, 6 years later. What is being done to stop it? Very little, it seems. Are the police doing anything? Very little, it seems. While you should not live your life in fear, you should not go out of your way to flirt with danger and put yourself and family in harms way. Your choice

Have 2 weeks planned in July and can't wait! Actually, when our Fiji trip this summer got cancelled, we immediately thought of Bonaire and booked. This will be our third 2-week trip to Bonaire in 3 years.

This recent crime "spree" definitely bothers me, but I have confidence that Liz is telling the truch 100% and the criminals have been caught. I refuse to live my life in fear, thus I'll take my normal travel precautions and my normal Bonaire precautions (windows down, nothing in truck) and enjoy my 2 weeks on Bonaire without any worries.

 

[jbtut]

I havent read through the entire post, but I do think crime and the perception of crime in Curacao and Bonaire are a problem. I spent a week in Curacao in January and had a great time. No theft, not problems. I would return. Actually I should say that I'd very much like to return for another vacation and I will recommend to friends.

However, the crime and petty theft is something that should be addressed. If nothing else, just some better PR by the tourism department would help. I debated booking our trip to Curacao because of it. Andreas and other SB members helped ease my concerns. But not everyone looking to go to these areas will seek further advice. They'll just read reports and figure, "well it's another Jamaica". Which is not the case.

The primary industry on Bonaire, and a major industry on Curacao is tourism. When a typical tourist (me) is booking a vacation they do take the crime into account. And the reality is that, whether it's perception or reality, areas with higher crime make less money. If Curacao had zero crime and Bonaire had some crime, Curacao would be able to charge more for rooms, diving, food etc. $200 a week for every room on the island is real money. And in my opinion that's easily within the range I'd would be willing to pay.

There may be just as much crime in the Caymans, but you don't hear about it and they capitalize on the perception of safety. It's the same reason you can go to Jamaica or the Dominican Republic for half the price. I've been to both and will not return to either. I didn't have problems in either place, but you'd be crazy to leave a car on a beach unprotected in either country, because they'd probably steal the car its self. In Jamaica I'd be very careful just going to a beach alone. They are a night and day difference from Curacao. Before visiting however, I questioned whether Curacao would be similar. And to some degree that was what I expected to find.

So I guess my point is that dismissing crime is foolish. It is a real deterrent to tourism and it costs the islands and people in the tourism industry real money. If there is a perception of higher than normal crime and appearance that nothing is being done about it, it hurts the tourism industry by forcing them to lower prices to attract visitors. There must be a balance between money spent for security and what that money returns in higher tourism. Ultimately from my perspective if either island made a security push with results the could compete against the other on that issue and increase revenue enough to cover the costs of the security.

 

[mike_s]

Dandy Don - Do you know why Cozumel is the safest island in the Carib for tourists?

but I will agree that it is the safest island in the carib for a tourist bar none!

I'll agree that Cozumel is a pretty safe place.

But I've felt equally as safe on Grand Cayman, Aruba, and some islands of the Bahamas (not all of them).

I'm sure that Bonaire is a pretty safe place also (from violent acts). they just have a petty theft problem that is pretty high (on divers) compared to other areas (which prob have more non divers).


I mean Jamaica is pretty safe if you never leave the confines of your resort, but I wouldn't go strolling around the back streets Kingston at night though.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I mean Jamaica is pretty safe if you never leave the confines of your resort, but I wouldn't go strolling around the back streets Kingston at night though.

Which is all part of tweaking your routine in an effort to keep safe (personally and your stuff). For some reason nobody balks at having to do that in Jamaica....only Bonaire.

 

[mike_s]

Which is all part of tweaking your routine in an effort to keep safe (personally and your stuff). For some reason nobody balks at having to do that in Jamaica....only Bonaire.

well I've seen some "bad areas" of Jamaica (riding by) ... but there were prob much worse one's I didn't see.

However in Jamaica, lots of the folks rarely leave the walled compound resort they stay in. I never had anything stolen there or was really concerned about it. (but camera went into room safe as did wallets/passports).

The worst thing there was in some of the off resort "tourist areas" these vendors set up flea markets along the exit areas and really hound you to sell you crap. In the past I've tried telling them politely "no", but that just gives them a conversation to try to talk you more into buying something. Now I just say 'no' one time and keep walking. If ignored, they quickly move on to the next "victum" to sell something to... and try to guilt/engage them into buying something.

Of course folks try to sell you drugs on the beach, but only if you're walking down along the waterline... they didn't come up into the resorts or even where the beach chairs were. And if you told them 'no', they didn't want to raise a scene and moved along.


SO that's not that bad. I'd go back to Jamaica easily. Beautiful country and great place to visit.

 

[gypsyjim]

Not everyone is ignoring reality. I'm gratified to see even some of the Bonaire clique changing their plans to avoid being a crime victim on Bonaire.

and some would not recognize it if it hit them squarely between their eyes

 

[gypsyjim]

Which is all part of tweaking your routine in an effort to keep safe (personally and your stuff). For some reason nobody balks at having to do that in Jamaica....only Bonaire.

Several years ago my gf did some diving on a trip to the Dominican Republic. 10' fences and guards armed with full auto weapons walking the perimeter at night.

I did not go all psycho/rabid about her experiences, and post endless drivel about the place. We just go elsewhere now.