Marianas TRIP program is coming to fruition

The Marianas is the only destination to successfully establish a Travel Bubble with South Korea, and South Koreans are beginning to flock to this western Pacific archipelago in what local tourism officials say is a sign of success of the government’s Tourism Resumption Investment Plan, or TRIP, program launched in July 2021.

In a single day, nearly 1,200 individuals recently made bookings to travel to the Marianas for at least a week, including five nights at a mandatory government hybrid-resort quarantine site, Kensington Saipan Hotel.

“Bookings to the Marianas from South Korea are increasing every day, a testament to the effectiveness of the Marianas’ response to COVID-19 and the financial investments made under TRIP to support airlines flying again, travel agencies selling our destination, hotels providing full services, and other business reopening, too,” said Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Priscilla Maratita Iakopo. “The representatives of Korean airlines, travel agencies, and media who conducted a [familiarization] tour in July were able to see for themselves how successful our COVID-19 protocols are and the tremendous offerings the Marianas has for leisure travel. Their confidence in the Marianas is now translating into sales. We project a steady but manageable recovery of the Marianas tourism economy in the coming months, at least, and will work closely with the administration, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., and COVID-19 Task Force to ensure we continue to prioritize the safety of our community and our visitors.”

The key component of the TRIP program is airline incentives of $45,000 for each flight with less than 40% load factor. Of the three weekly flights from Korea that have qualified for the program, Iakopo said 18 flights over the next two months have already surpassed the incentive threshold due to high demand. Bookings have been averaging over 200 bookings per day over the last week and are projected to increase.

“We know the Marianas is all over the South Korea travel trade media and homepages as the only Travel Bubble destination. The publicity value of that is immeasurable,” said Iakopo. “Due to very low community transmission of COVID-19 in the Marianas, a vaccination rate of 80% among our eligible population, and a strict quarantine protocol at our borders so we are able identify and stop cases upon entry, we are now able to capitalize on being a relatively safe destination. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to revive the tourism economy, while also closely monitoring and reacting responsibly what is happening in our source countries.”

Iakopo said TRIP is short-term investment to prime the pump for long-term benefits by getting visitors safely travelling again to the Marianas.

“The Marianas will continue to benefit from TRIP by stimulating the economy through the revitalization of the tourism industry, restoration of travelers’ confidence in traveling to the Marianas, and increased overall destination exposure,” she said.

The Marianas is 4.5 hours flight time from Seoul, Korea. (MVA)