Japan arrivals continue decline

Tourist arrivals from Japan plunged by 29 percent during the first month of the year, showing a consistent sharp decline since the departure of Japan Airlines in October 2005.

Data from the Marianas Visitors Authority released yesterday showed that the CNMI received only 25,555 visitors from Japan last month, compared with the 35,795 visitors in January 2005.

Another key market, South Korea, posted a 9-percent drop in arrivals, registering only 6,902 visitors last month from the 7,554 posted during the same month last year.

The slump comes after three consecutive months of growth in arrivals, said MVA.

Traditionally, it said that Asiana Airlines adds three extra flights per week during the month of January but it did not do so this year “due to the lack of demand.”

According to the MVA Korea office, there was a huge demand in outbound travel to Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and the Philippines during this season.

MVA said that air carriers to these destinations offered cheap airfare, creating the high travel demand.

“As a result, most winter vacationers flocked to these destinations,” it said.

Upswing in China market

Overall, the MVA cited a 21.42 percent decline in visitor arrivals last month compared with the same month last year.

The agency said a total of 39,500 tourists visited the CNMI last month.

In January 2005, visitors totaled 50,270.

China posted a positive start in 2006 with 28-percent growth in visitor arrivals compared with January 2005. Arrivals from China reached 3,757 in January 2006.

MVA credited the high travel demand to the Lunar New Year holiday, which took place on Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, 2006.

“Arrivals from China were the only market that registered positive growth for the month of January 2006,” MVA said.

Declines in other markets

Taiwan and Hong Kong showed a dramatic decline of 86 percent and 30 percent, respectively, for lack of direct flights.

Continental Airlines had canceled its Guam-Saipan-Taiwan flights and dropped Saipan from its Guam-Hong Kong route last November.

MVA statistics showed 23 visitors from Taiwan last month, compared with 168 visitors in January last year.

From Hong Kong, MVA reported 129 visitors last January versus 185 in January 2005.

Other markets showed the following decline: 8 percent from Guam, 12 percent from the United States, 29 percent from the Philippines, and 23 percent from other areas.

MVA earlier expressed confidence that the Japan market would recover with the introduction of a new Northwest flight from Narita, Japan, in April this year.

NWA announced last week that it would open a new second nonstop service between Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Saipan.

The new service, which begins on April 24, 2006, will operate a second Boeing 747 jumbo jet from Tokyo, flying three times a week. The aircraft will carry 400 economy and 30 business class passengers.

This additional flight will generate an additional 5,160 additional seats from Japan per month.

Based on an average spending of $1,332 per Japanese tourist, the new flight is estimated to bring in $27.5 million over the next five months.