Palacios, MVA execs woo Japan market

Gov. Arnold I. Palacios met with Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada in Japan Monday as part of the CNMI’s efforts to strengthen government partnerships and expand the Japanese tourism market to the CNMI. (OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR)

Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and ranking Marianas Visitors Authority officials are in Tokyo, Japan, this week for a three-day visit to meet with high-level Japanese government representatives, travel representatives, airline representatives, and other travel-related organizations to further strengthen the recovering Japan tourism market.

Saipan Tribune learned that the governor, along with MVA board chair Gloria Cavanagh, board member Chris Nelson, MVA acting managing director Judy Torres, and other CNMI government officials flew last Monday morning to Tokyo. They are expected to fly back to Saipan tomorrow, Thursday.

According to Richard Enrico R. Baleares of the Office of the Governor’s information office, the governor is scheduled to meet with the representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Japan; Japan Association of Travel Agents; Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation, and Tourism; Japan Airport Terminal Company executive vice president; Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; various travel agents and travel representatives; travel agency JTB Corp., travel agency H.I.S. Co. Ltd.; United Airlines; Skymark Airlines; and Rakuten Travel Organization. Palacios and his team will also be attending a Marianas Tourism meeting set for today, Wednesday.

One of the meetings Palacios has already had was with Japan Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada.

Baleares said the brief visit to Japan emphasizes Palacios’ and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang’s commitment to working with the Japanese government and travel partners to help increase the number of visitors from Japan to the CNMI.

Palacios will be sharing the highlights from his meetings with the different agencies and agents throughout the week.

Since landing in Japan, the group has had a meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Japan, followed by a meeting with officials of the Japan Association of Travel Agents at their headquarters.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, Palacios wrote Adm. John Aquillino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, that his administration is committed to advancing U.S national interests in the Pacific region, which includes pivoting away from the CNMI’s reliance on its Chinese tourism market.

“My administration is very much committed to the U.S national interests in our region and will do what we can to advance these interests as geopolitical tensions continue to heighten. Part of this commitment includes the CNMI’s pivot away from its reliance on the Chinese tourism market, which comprised more than 50% of our tourism base (about 200,000 visitors pre-pandemic),” he said.

In place of the Chinese market, Palacios says his administration is working on strengthening and further developing the tourism pipelines from American allies like Japan and South Korea.

“This will take time. The loss of the Chinese market has had considerably adverse economic and financial impact on the Commonwealth. This loss, which represents a sizable portion of our tourism revenue, contributes to vulnerable economic conditions that in the past have been exploited by the Chinese Communist Party to the detriment of the United States’ interest in the region,” said Palacios.

In addition to strengthening tourism with U.S. allies, Palacios said his administration is currently in the works of developing an entirely new tourism market; military families.

The decision to develop military tourism comes after the recent relocation of over 5,000 military personnel from Japan to Guam.

“We have to start helping ourselves to that market and start developing that market,” Palacios said in a previous interview.