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Fitial to return with good tidings—Reyes
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Posted on Feb 06 2006
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial will have good news concerning a Japanese airline and a top travel management agency when he returns from his Japan trip tomorrow, according to press secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr.
Fitial, who is paying for the trip out of his own pocket, has been in Japan since last week, meeting with airline and other travel companies. He is expected to report on his trip when he returns on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006.
“According to the governor, the Japan Travel Bureau is more willing to help the expansion of tourism-related businesses and investments as a result of a changed business environment brought about by the new Fitial-Villagomez administration,” Reyes reported yesterday.
Fitial also reportedly met with some Japanese airlines. He had said earlier that he was talking with Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, and Omni Airlines regarding flights between Japan and the Northern Marianas.
JAL ceased all regularly scheduled flights to Saipan effective Oct. 4, 2005, resulting in a huge drop in visitor arrivals.
Currently, only Northwest Airlines provides nonstop flights between the CNMI and Japan, where 70 percent of the islands’ tourists come from.
However, JAL continues to operate charter flights to the island. Asiana Airlines also offers via-Seoul service to Japanese markets such as Sendai, Toyama, Fukuyama, and other “unserved” cities.
