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2015 MTEC Tourism Summit draws 600-plus students
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- Rep. Lee Guerrero, seated right, chairman of the House Committee on Commerce and Tourism, is joined by other VIPS at the MTEC Tourism Summit on Jan. 22-23, 2015, at Saipan World Resort. Pictured from left are MTEC board member Chris Concepcion of Delta Air Lines, Marianas Visitor Authority managing director Perry Tenorio, vice-chairman of the House Committee on Commerce and Tourism Angel Demapan, MVA Community Projects assistant Charlene Mendoza, MTEC chairwoman Vicky Benavente, Guerrero, MTEC board member Larry Lee, and MVA Community Project manager Martin Duenas. (Contributed Photo)
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- Guest speaker Glenn Polycare of Pacific Islands Club Saipan give students at the 2015 MTEC Tourism Summit a homework assignment to greet visitors, keep the island clean, and create a positive memory for visitors. The summit was held on Jan. 22-23, 2015, at Saipan World Resort. (Contributed Photo)
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- Students of Kagman Elementary and other schools brainstorm and share ideas about tourism during the MTEC Tourism Summit on Jan. 22-23, 2015, at Saipan World Resort. (Contributed Photo)
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- Dr. Fred R. Schumann, associate professor of Global Resources Management in the School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Guam, addresses middle school and high school students at the MTEC Tourism Summit on Jan. 22-23, 2015, at Saipan World Resort. (Contributed Photo)
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- Hopwood Jr. High School reports the results of a survey students conducted on tourism as part of their MY WAVE Club report at the MTEC Tourism Summit on Jan. 22-23, 2015, at Saipan World Resort. (Contributed Photo)
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- The Chamorro dance troupe Simiyan Mañaina-ta performs at the MTEC Tourism Summit on Jan. 22-23, 2015, at Saipan World Resort. (Contributed Photo)
The annual Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism Summit for public school students drew over 600 students to the Saipan World Resort on Jan. 22-23, 2015, to learn about tourism and express their own thoughts on the Northern Marianas’ primary economic driver.
“Each school year, the MTEC spends time with the students, sharing information and encouraging their participation in the tourism and hospitality industry,” said Vicky Benavente, MTEC chairwoman. “I am grateful to the CNMI businesses such as the Mariana Resort, T Galleria, Docomo Pacific, and PDI. These are some of the key players who help to pump out the message that tourism is indeed everybody’s business.”
This year’s summit was divided into elementary schools on the first day and middle and high schools on the second. On day one, guest speaker Glenn Policare, director of Sports, Entertainment and Activities at Pacific Islands Club Saipan, gave attendees homework: 1) greet each tourist with a friendly “Hafa Adai, Tirow” 2) Keep beaches and the islands clean, and 3) Create a positive memory for tourists.
Dr. Fred R. Schumann, associate professor of Global Resources Management in the School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Guam, addressed secondary level students on Jan. 23, 2015, reminding students that “we are in the business of making people happy,” and that the “software” people of a destination are just as important as the “hardware” externals of a destination.
MY WAVE Clubs from the schools reported on their activities over the last year. Students also had breakout sessions where they brainstormed and presented their thoughts on questions such as: What are some tourist sites and what makes them special? List five things to see and do in your community and explain why tourists would enjoy them? If you will work in the tourism industry, what types of jobs would you be interested in and explain why. What do you think you can contribute to the CNMI tourism industry today and in the future?
Opening remarks were delivered by Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio on opening day and by MVA deputy managing director Judy Torres on day 2. Attending VIPs included Rep. Joseph Lee Pan Guerrero and Rep. Angel Demapan, chairman and vice chairman of the House Committee on and Tourism respectively.
Exhibits were also set up by the MVA, Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance, Bureau of Environmental Quality, and Northern Marianas Humanities Council.
MTEC was formed in 2002 to heighten the community’s awareness of the importance of tourism to the wellbeing of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. MTEC’s stated mission is three-fold: to foster community understanding and support of the visitor industry; educate the general public, especially school students, about the value, social benefits, and economic contributions made to the community by the visitor industry; and to instill, improve, and promote the “Hafa Adai” hospitality spirit throughout the island community. (MTEC)
