Previous Story
Joint effort eyed to ease SIA lines
The Commonwealth Ports Authority is working with government agencies to help ease the long immigration lines that tourists go through when coming in to the CNMI
CPA executive director Chris Tenorio stated yesterday that CPA, along with the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Governor’s Office, are joining efforts to ease the wait-times of tourists as they pass through immigration.
Tenorio disclosed that CPA is looking into installing chairs and other amenities as tourists line up for the Customs and Border Protection screening at the Francisco C. Ada Saipan International Airport.
“[We] are looking at installing additional furniture, maybe televisions, water dispensers, and also a small playground for kids to try and distract them,” said Tenorio.
“We are in the process of procuring the chairs. MVA and the Governor’s Office are working on getting water dispensers and TV monitors up there,” he added.
According to Tenorio, MVA would provide five water dispensers outside the CBP area. Two TV’s and additional chairs are also being discussed.
Tenorio said the number of chairs would still be decided.
“It is a complicated issue,” Tenorio said. “We are trying to accommodate the inbound passengers.”
Complaints about the long wait-lines at the CBP area say that waiting sometimes reaches up to 3-4 hours on specific days and times of the week.
MVA, along with the Governor’s Office, airline companies, travel and tour agencies, and others agree that the long lines are detrimental to the tourism industry, the bread and butter of the CNMI.
In an earlier interview, MVA managing director Chris Concepcion said the long lines tend to paint Saipan as a “less competitive” destination compared to other areas in the Asia-Pacific.
Multiple factors are cited for causing the long lines, one of which is the high amount of visitors.
Chinese and Korean tourists comprised more than 81 percent of CNMI visitors in fiscal year 2016 and 2017. The last time the total number of tourist arrivals reached the 500,000-mark was more than a decade ago, when Japan was still the strongest tourist market of the CNMI.
“Something must be done before it’s too late,” Concepcion had said.
