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Babauta to press for extra $5M for MVA
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Posted on Apr 29 2002
Gov. Juan N. Babauta vowed to facilitate the release of additional $5 million for the Marianas Visitors Authority, in efforts to bolster the CNMI’s marketing and advertising strategy abroad.
In an interview, Babauta said he will press for the immediate release of the additional fund for the MVA to help the agency intensify its promotional activities. “I will push for the $5 million to help MVA promote the Northern Marianas.”
Aside from the additional funding, Babauta and Washington Representative Pete A. Tenorio also underscored the need to tap the assistance of U.S. embassies abroad in disseminating information about the Northern Marianas.
“The embassies can help us disseminate information about the CNMI to prevent fictitious information, and legitimate information will be released through their help,” Babauta explained.
The governor believes that with the new airlines servicing the CNMI, the government would be able to reach its target of one million tourists in 2002.
But the tourism sector continues to point out the need for the administration to provide additional funding for the visitors authority’s marketing efforts.
Earlier, the Tourism Strategic Planning Task Force disclosed that the administration may have to spend a conservative $1.5 million to $2 million for its Japan tourism campaign alone.
MVA acting managing director Vicky I. Benavente said the project’s price tag is based on just five of the strategies that the task force is considering in implementing the project.
“Right now, as far as the five that I have heard so far, the price tag would be at least a million and a half to $2 million. But this is where you will have money that it targeted towards specific campaigns, advertisements, or events, or things like the family market giveaways, or office ladies special promotion or a golf carnival.
Benavente explained that aggressive marketing efforts in Japan and other CNMI’s major market should be undertaken to lure more tourists to the island.
The MVA acting managing director vowed that funding assistance is on its way. The tourism agency said it will distribute evenly the amount to all major markets to equally promote the CNMI to different countries, including China.
