• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, October 7, 2022

Billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson have been making headlines with their ambition to make space the next big tourism destination. 

But a new campaign from the Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire is raising the question: why shoot for the stars (with tons of added carbon emissions to do it) when we have huge environmental issues here on earth?  

In an effort to raise awareness for eco-conscious travel destinations, the tourism board of Bonaire partnered with Tampa-based creative agency Dunn&Co to place a few pointedly worded billboards near Bezos' Washington Post headquarters and the launch grounds of his Blue Origin space exploration company, Branson's Virgin Galactic, and Musk's SpaceX. 

The billboards mimic the branding ethos and design of each billionaire's company. Amazon’s corporate “mission” for example is to be “Earth’s most customer centric company.” The Bonaire billboard targeting Bezos reads, “Hey Jeff, we have a mission for you.” 

Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is on a mission to enable people to live on other planets. The billboard targeting him reads, “Hey Elon, you don’t need a rocket to visit the final frontier.” 

“We are using these very specific ad spaces to get the attention of some of the world’s most influential people who could help the campaign strike the right chord,” said Troy Dunn, Founder and President of Dunn&Co, Bonaire’s AOR. “All three of these billionaires have contributed to the Earth in their own way and we are asking them to bring that same energy to Bonaire. This is an invitation to experience the final frontier on our home planet.” 

The billboards are part of the “Earthonauts” campaign to educate travelers on the dire need for the preservation and protection of the Earth’s natural resources and spaces. As part of the campaign, Bonaire is offering travel expenses to bring five eco-conscious travelers to the island to assist local conservation groups.