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Asiana sets 25-percent growth target
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Posted on Jan 06 2006
Asiana Airlines is eyeing the English language market in Korea as it vowed to increase the number of passengers to Saipan in 2006 to over 100,000.
If Asiana meets the target, it will post an increase of approximately 25 percent in 2006.
While Asiana is in the process of summing up its total passengers to Saipan in 2005, Kwang Joong Kim, general manager for Saipan, estimated last year’s passenger arrivals at 75,000.
“We will keep on developing travel demand,” Kim said.
Many Koreans currently travel to Asian countries such as the Philippines to study the English language.
Besides tapping the English language market, Kim said Asiana would tap the sports event market in Korea. Kim said Asiana would promote Saipan’s sports events such as triathlon, marathon, and many others.
Kim also noted the slated grand opening of the renovated Saipan World Resort, which boasts of a multi-million waterpark, in early 2006, to attract Korean travelers. Asiana also vowed to enhance golf packages for the Korean market.
With all these efforts, Kim expressed optimism that travel demand to Saipan would continue to increase. Asiana has also begun tapping the Russian, Chinese and Japanese markets through flights via Seoul.
“I’m ready to dedicate all my effort to promote Saipan,” Kim said. “I’m very hopeful. I’m very positive about the Korean market.”
As far as the other markets are concerned, Asiana vowed to bring in around 21,000 tourists in 2006: 10,000 Chinese; 8,000 Russians; and 3,000 Japanese.
