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MVA looking into new markets
The Marianas Visitors Authority hopes to further expand the CNMI’s tourism market with the help of 10 overseas offices that have a marketing team of 37 people. Hong Kong and the Philippines are two of the new markets, while the MVA has also been aggressive with its promotions in Chinese-Taipei.
The MVA’s Hong Kong office opened last June with Samantha Lau as director and had worked directly with the successful launch of Hong Kong Airlines’ inaugural non-stop flight to Saipan last July 8. Mary Joan Cabrera Boongaling is HK Air’s Saipan Station Airport Services supervisor.
HK Air flies twice a week from Chek Lap Kok International Airport to the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport every Wednesday and Sunday at 5:30pm (Hong Kong time), and Monday and Thursday at 2am (Saipan Time).
Lau is also working with Hong Kong Express and it is expected to fly direct to Saipan later this year or in early 2017, depending on the approval of their application from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Transportation Security Administration.
HK Express is HK Air’s sister airline that offers low cost fares with seat prices for a roundtrip ticket from Japan to Hong Kong at $200. They plan to have non-stop flights to Saipan originating from Japan’s secondary cities and have a 180-seater Airbus A320.
The MVA also wanted the CNMI’s presence felt in the Philippines and opened its Manila office last April. They want to capitalize on PAL Express’ new non-stop flights that began last June 16.
PAL Express’ 156-seater Airbus A320 flies twice a week from Manila to Saipan every Wednesdays and Sundays, and Saipan-Manila every Mondays and Thursdays with the roundtrip ticket at an average of $500 per person including taxes.
Four airlines have already been flying from the Taoyuan International Airport with stopovers before Saipan. Asiana Airlines and All Nippon Airways each fly daily via Seoul and Narita, China Airlines five times a week via Guam, and Philippine Airlines four flights a week via Manila.
Dynamic Air is planning to launch a Taipei-Saipan non-stop flight in the first quarter of 2017 with the MVA targeting an additional 4,000 tourists from the Taiwan market.
Air Asia, Vanilla Air, t’way, Jet Asia, Eastar Jet, Air Busan, and Peach are the other Asian LCCs that are being targeted to offer non-stop flights from various destinations to Saipan.
