Public transportation and multi-lingual signs pushed

To make the CNMI more attractive to tourists, industry leaders are pushing for the creation of a public transport, mono-rail system, and more multi-lingual signs and tourist information.

“Let’s consider other forms of transportation services. Public transportation will be most helpful to tourists,” said Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Charles V. Cepeda, chairman of the Ad Hoc subcommittee on tourism destination enhancement.

At the same time, he said that multi-lingual signages must be installed at each of the air- and seaports and other sites to ensure customer-friendly facilities and sites.

Languages should include Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Russian—the MVA’s primary target groups.

Cepeda, who presented his panel’s recommendation during Friday’s Marianas Visitors Authority general membership meeting, said both public and private entities can invest in public bus service, inter-island car ferry between Saipan and Tinian, a mono-rail system or a “Sugar Train” replica, and a gondola or tram ride to the top of Mt. Tapochau.

These services, he said, would add significantly to the overall value of the CNMI as a destination.

Further, Cepeda said there is a need to regulate the current taxi meter rates “for reasonableness” or consider zoned rating structure to help improve customer satisfaction.

“It is important that tourists have freedom of movement in order to fully enjoy sites and attractions that the CNMI has to offer,” he said.

Right now, he said illegal taxi operations continue to proliferate on island, offering customers an irresistible rate of $3 per trip.

PRICE GOUGING

Cepeda said some tourists, especially first-time visitors, fall victims to price gouging.

“Price gouging is a problem,” he said.

This is due to lack of quality control in selling tour packages in the CNMI.

To begin with, there is no certification of tour guides in the CNMI so there is no guarantee that tourists actually get the best or right information about the islands.

DIRTY BEACH, ADULT ENTERTAINMENT

Cepeda said that while the CNMI promotes itself as having white sand, clear water, and clean beaches, tourists actually find an unkempt beach, with trash all over the place and sewage getting flushed directly into the sea.

“This is a big turnoff. How do we expect them to come again?” asked Cepeda.

Further, he said Paseo de Marianas, a newly constructed pedestrian mall in downtown Garapan, “has a sidebar—night clubs and adult entertainment shops.”

“There’s a porn shop right in the corner of Paseo. Is this the kind of business we want there?” asked Cepeda.

He said Paseo needs to have a variety of stores that cater to families. These include music stores, bookstores, brand restaurants and cafes, high-end supermarkets, toy stores, and the like.

Cepeda’s subcommittee on Destination Enhancement, at the same time, recommended the following: prohibition of karaoke bars and strip clubs; relocation of adult establishments and game rooms to a zoned area; renovation of aging facades of buildings; development of a special zoning code in Garapan.

Other projects for Garapan include grand redevelopment of largely underutilized government land—the 80,000 square meter lot that is currently home to the Garapan Elementary School and some abandoned housing units.

MVA’s five-year strategic plan is based on its vision to make the CNMI an authentic tropical paradise, a popular destination known for its natural beauty and clean environment, rich culture, and a vibrant community.

The plan takes into consideration the Fitial administration’s goal of bringing in 1 million tourists in the CNMI a year by 2008.