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September tourist arrivals up by 14 percent
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Posted on Oct 08 2004
Tourist arrivals ended fiscal year 2004 with a growth of 13.81 percent in September as compared with the same period in 2003.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, the islands received a total of 46,351 visitors last month, registering a considerable increase from the 40,728 tourists that came in September 2003.
MVA data showed that Japan, China, and the Philippines were the top three performers among the CNMI’s tourism markets.
Arrivals from Japan increased by 15 percent—or from 31,589 visitors in September 2003 to 36,215 last month. Japan continues to be the islands’ largest market, taking 78 percent of the total market share in September.
The CNMI welcomed a total of 2,524 visitors from China last month, or 29 percent more than the 1,962 Chinese tourists that arrived in September 2003. China is now the third biggest market of the CNMI’s tourism industry, with 5 percent of the total arrivals coming from the country.
The Philippines generated 427 visitors in the month of September, posting a 33 percent from the 320 Filipino tourists that arrived in the same period last year.
Visitor arrivals from Guam also increased by 41 percent, from only 1,122 in September 2003 to 1,583 last month.
However, despite the celebration of the Chuseok holidays, Korea failed to surpass the arrival levels in September 2003. Korea arrivals reached only 4,508, which was 2 percent short of the 4,582 visitors posted last year.
Also known as the Korean Thanksgiving, Chuseok was celebrated from Sept. 27 to 29. Including the weekend, the holiday season lasted five days and allowed South Koreans to go on trips in or out of their country.
Asiana Airlines, which is the only carrier servicing the Korea-Saipan route, provided four additional flights during the Chuseok season. Each flight had a maximum capacity of 177 passengers.
Korea remains the CNMI’s second largest tourism market, holding 10 percent of total market share last month.
