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HANMI PRESIDENT SAYS: Prostitution, tourist harassment threaten tourism industry
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Posted on Jul 27 2000
Visitors in the CNMI have been subjected to various types of harassment by beach vendors who aggressively offer almost anything — from boat rides to prostitution.
Such situation is a growing problem in the tourist industry as visitors have become very uncomfortable during their short stay in Saipan, according to Ron Sablan, president of the Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands.
One of the HANMI members even videotaped beach vendors loitering on hotel property and beaches, pestering virtually every tourist venturing toward the beach.
In a letter to Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Perry John Tenorio, Mr. Sablan asked the tourism agency’s help in solving the problem.
“We are not blaming MVA for these problems, but HANMI feels compelled to bring them to your attention and pose a serious question: how long can we allow this harassment of our visitors to continue before it destroys our image and reputation as a tourist destination?” asked Mr. Sablan.
Mr. Sablan said hotel guests can no longer have peaceful walks along the beaches nor sunbathe without becoming prey to aggressive sales pitches. “No matter what the age of the guests, they are repeatedly pestered to the point of embarrassment,” he added.
As visitors come here to relax, they have been bombarded by beach concessionaires with offers of jet skis, boat rides, BBQ’s, equipment rentals, food, drinks, etc.
In Garapan, every male tourist is heavily solicited by nightclub hostesses hanging out of their establishments, and pimps and prostitutes who loiter in the streets.
While HANMI understands that this situation was partly a result of the downturn in the economy, it also believes that such practice should not be allowed to continue as it may force tourists to look for other destinations and only compound the problem of the ailing tourist industry.
Mr. Sablan said the efforts of MVA and the hotel association to promote the CNMI will completely go to waste if the situation is allowed to continue. HANMI has offered to assist the MVA in solving this problem to ensure that visitors enjoy themselves during their stay.
