MVA to lobby for more Taipei-Saipan flights

Tourism officials will meet with executives of Mandarin Air and China Airlines tomorrow in Taipei in an effort to strengthen the marketing campaign there and discuss the possibility of increasing the frequency of Taipei-Saipan direct flights.

The Marianas Visitors Authority has set aside $300,000 for the promotion alone in Taipei for the first quarter of the fiscal year. Taiwan is seen as an alternative market for the Northern Marianas, largely dependent on Japan for its source of tourist.

“We want to ask them their views on how we can increase the number of Taiwanese tourists coming here. Maybe they have a different idea on how we can effectively promote the CNMI in Taipei,” said MVA Board Chair Dave M. Sablan.

The three-day trip, Mr. Sablan said, is also MVA’s way of showing appreciation to Mandarin Air and China Airlines for their support on the island’s tourism industry. MVA delegation includes Managing Director Perry Tenorio, Marian Aldan-Pierce, and Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas.

Mandarin Air Saipan station manager Charlie Ling said the airline may be able to increase flights to Saipan when three new Boeing 737-800 aircraft purchased by its parent company, China Airlines, arrive in January and February of next year. The airline has scheduled to deploy 69 flights until the end of the year.

Travelers from Taiwan have slowly made significant mark in the tourism industry as the Taipei-based carrier reported that it has exceeded the 80 percent load factor target in the first four months of its flight services to the island.

Mr. Ling said he is optimistic that passenger haul from November until February will pick up or during the Christmas season and the Chinese New Year as well as the summer months.

The carrier reported the highest load factor in July which reached 91 percent. Mr. Ling disclosed increasing passenger haul with its 73 percent load factor in May growing to 87 percent the following month.

With the beginning of direct air service between Taipei and Saipan, Commonwealth officials are expecting to get a good share of over five million Taiwanese who take overseas travel once every year.

At least one in every four Taiwanese travel abroad every year although mainland China has remained the most popular destination in recent years. The island-nation, which is home to 22 million people, has one of the highest standards of living in the world.