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Marie Rosa/Candice Adams Kimmel
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**Six #1 Rankings Including Best Overall Destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic Exceeding All Other Destinations**
Kralendijk, Bonaire – The island of Bonaire has swept top honors receiving six #1 Ratings, which is more than any other destination scored in the Caribbean/Atlantic category, while continuing its reign as one of the top diving destinations. For the tenth consecutive year, Bonaire has taken first place for Best Overall Destination and island for Best Shore Diving.
Bonaire received first place in four other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Best Marine Life, Best Macro Life, Best Destination For Snorkeling, and Best Destination For Value For Diving. It also received second place ratings in the categories of Best Marine Environment, Best Visibility and Best Destination for Diving for a total of nine awards for 2012.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the readers of Scuba Diving magazine as the top overall diving destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic for a decade long,” said Lara Chirino, Director of Tourism of Tourism Corporation Bonaire. “Bonaire is renown for demonstrating a longstanding commitment to preserving and protecting the environment below the water, and these awards show us the results of our efforts.”
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 2012 Awards are featured in the January/February 2012 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, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and deep 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 Caribbean/Atlantic for 10 consecutive years in Scuba Diving magazine’s annual 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). Bonaire was voted one of the top five Snorkeling Destinations in the Caribbean by the editors of Caribbean Travel & Life in 2011 and this year the number one island for snorkeling by the readers of Scuba Diving.
For more information on Bonaire contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE or visit Bonaire’s official web site at www.tourismbonaire.com. Follow Bonaire on Twitter and Facebook.
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