The
Bonaire Sky may not be falling but it will affect my tourism $$.
The concern I read in this blog is a real problem and not a random "one off" deal.
What I understand that is being expressed, is that this tax policy as it was applied to Divers in BONAIRE LAST WEEK could lead to further confiscation, randomly applying to any diver arriving with expensive equipment.
turisiops, I see you repeating what you know, not what has happened. It may not bother you because you and 90 plus % of the divers going to Bonaire don't take technical equipment and DPV's to the island. But for those who don't have to tell everyone they are a "Master Instructor" retired, I and others care about the diving experience offered by our scuba destinations. I don't know you, but I can tell by your responses and count that you are highly active in here. But I do know that Jon Nellis, who uses his name, is a very credible and reliable source who also does not have to bloviate like yourself.
If you don't take tech equipment or DPV's to Bonaire, then please don't be the expert. Please help us research this, before you comment and say it's not a problem and your camera comes apart. It is much more helpful to know what really happened in this event, what the law is in Bonaire, how it will be applied to divers with DPV's, CCR's, and/or Camera equipment.
If the law that was applied is correct, it could even apply to all personal items. EVERYONE can be subject to confiscation, even if it is unlikely.
What and when customs is enforcing is important. Is one customs officer taking this seriously while others don't?
Everyone going to Bonaire carrying high value personal items can be subject to what these divers experienced. I need to avoid the problems expressed in this thread.
I have a trip scheduled to Bonaire in May and in September. I will cancel and avoid Bonaire. I and my scuba buddies travel each year to Bonaire with expensive gear. Many in our group plan to travel with DPV's and CCR's. We know many divers who have cameras and watches over $5000.
We have brought all this equipment to Bonaire previously without problems. However, this equipment all sounds subject to this confiscation and or additional taxes if customs decides to stop our luggage.
What I have seen in this blog, from the linked websites, is that this is subject to values above $500, not $5000.
We need to know if this is a change to Bonaire's customs enforcement requirements or if it is a subjective application.
I know this will only add fear and ambiguity to Bonaire travelers like myself.
I personally don't want a vacation where I am fearful of just entering the country with my own belongings. I dread the idea of spending time trying to chase down random documents to get my own property back. I also don't want to spend a precious vacation day trying to get through red tape or having to face additional governmental expenses.
I can't help but wonder if this is a government effort in Bonaire to force people to rent DPV's or is it a way to extort more money from their wealthy tourists?
