Bonaire has long pioneered marine preservation: The island implemented protections for its sea turtle nests and eggs in 1961, prohibited spearfishing 10 years later, and established the Caribbean’s first marine reserve in 1979. Now the government is incentivizing the private sector to operate with the same ocean ethos.

In 2018, the shore diving haven launched the Blue Destination Certification, a program that publicly verifies a business’s operations are sustainable for the marine environment. The Bonaire Blue Destination Certification task force—composed of stakeholders including the national parks foundation and chamber of commerce—partnered with the Bonaire government and Green Destinations, a Netherlands eco-travel foundation, to create the sea seal.

Ten island operators to date have earned the certification, which rates businesses from one to three blue stars. Certification requires online reporting and an online or in-person site audit to confirm the business conforms to an expansive list of requirements spanning 12 categories, including waste, energy and water consumption, recycling, accessibility, and public sustainability reporting. These metrics are shaped by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s standards; the more benchmarks an operator meets, the more stars it earns.

Seeing these stars lets tourist know “where they're staying or the company that they’re supporting is contributing to sustainability,” says Ghislaine Monte, junior business advisor at Bonaire’s Chamber of Commerce, who oversees the program. Participating operators, on average, use 19 percent less water and emit 10 percent less CO2 than other Bonaire businesses.

VIP Diving was the first three-star Blue Destination-certified business. To earn a full three-star rating, operators must meet at least 95 percent of the certification requirements, such as producing green energy and responsibly disposing of engine oil.

“We are super proud to receive this three-star Blue Destination Certification, and we hope to inspire others to achieve this level,” says owner Bas Noij. Dive Friends Bonaire, Delfins Beach Resort and Divi Flamingo Resort are among the island’s other certified blue businesses.

“The companies that are registering right now are companies that already are doing sustainable actions,” says Monte. “The next part will be [to]…encourage other businesses to take the actions to get certified.” The goal is that the program will someday “just cover the whole island.”

To date, the Blue Destination Company Certification is exclusive to Bonaire. Monte recommends other island governments interested in providing a similar incentive register for Green Destination’s Good Travel Guide.