Escape sparks worries on tourists’ safety

The Japan-Saipan Travel Association has expressed concern on the safety of Japanese tourists on the island as six inmates including three murderers, a rapist and child molester who bolted out of prison Monday night remain at large.

As a precautionary measure, tour operators will caution the Japanese travelers to be extra careful in roaming around the island while the convicts are still roaming around the island, said Kiyoshi Aikawa, president of JSTA.

His main advise to Japanese tourists: Do not go out at night. When you leave the hotel, make sure you go out with a group.

The Northern Marianas is a popular destination among Japanese primarily because of its crystal clear waters, white sand beaches, warm weather and friendly people, Aikawa said.

“It is very difficult for us now to promote the island because we always say the CNMI is a safe destination,” he said. He said he hopes the local police would move fast in apprehending the convicts so that the community would feel safe again.

In a move to recapture its lost market share, the Marianas Visitors Authority has recently hired Tokyo-based Dentsu Inc. to help promote the CNMI in Japan.

Since the Asian financial crisis began in July 1997, the Northern Marianas has been experiencing a double-digit decline in visitor arrivals. Japan, the island’s main market, is battling its worst recession since World War II.

The continuous downtrend in visitor arrivals has led to the closure of many businesses and the decline in revenue of the CNMI government which used to depend on tourism as its main source of income.

The Department of Public Safety has asked the people to make sure that all their doors and windows are secured, as well as instructed their children not to talk to or open the door to strangers. This is the third jailbreak under the command of Commissioner Charles Ingram.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has immediately ordered an investigation on the incident and identify those who should be held responsible for the worst jailbreak in the history of the Northern Marianas.

The jailbreak came at a time when the Northern Marianas’ image abroad has already been tarnished with the filing of a $1 billion lawsuit by garment workers against manufacturers and buyers.

To fix the image of the CNMI which has been branded as a “slave island,” MVA board chairman Dave M. Sablan has sought the hiring of a public relations firm.