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January visitor arrivals up 10 pct.
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Posted on Mar 21 2012
January 2012 visitor arrivals to the Northern Mariana Islands were up 10 percent compared to January 2011.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, arrivals to the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota registered 38,263 visitors in January compared to 34,738 in January 2011. Overall, visitor arrivals are up 5 percent this fiscal year to 125,649 visitors.
Arrivals from Japan dropped 1 percent to 15,467 in January, as the CNMI received two daily flights from Narita for most of the month, compared to three daily flights in January 2011.
However, due to high demand during the peak travel season, Delta Air Lines operated a third weekly flight, and Asiana Airlines has also re-launched daily service from Osaka in December.
Arrivals from Korea were up 1 percent to 12,758 visitors. Delta Air Lines operated Busan-Saipan charter flights from Jan. 5 to Feb. 26, 2012 on Thursdays and Sundays, while Asiana Airlines has continued to operate its Busan-Saipan charter flights launched in November.
Arrivals from China increased 96 percent in January to 7,660 visitors. This January the NMI received six flights weekly from China, compared to only two flights weekly last January, demand driven by the celebration of the lunar new year in January, this year.
“So far this fiscal year, the Northern Marianas has received almost twice as many visitors from China as the same period last year,” said MVA managing director Perry Tenorio. “This underscores the continued and growing importance of the China market for us.”
Arrivals from Russia posted an increase of 15 percent to 686 in January 2012. Increases were also registered from Hong Kong (54 percent to 43).
Arrivals were also down in January from Guam (9 percent to 976), the United States (10 percent to 437), the Philippines (33 percent to 27), and Other Areas (20 percent to 209).[I] (MVA)[/I]
