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Tourist arrivals up 29 percent in Oct.
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Posted on Nov 19 1999
As a result of strong growth posted by Korean and Japanese markets, visitor arrivals totaled 40,941 in October, or a 20 percent jump compared to the same period last year.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, arrivals from Japan climbed 25 percent, which it attributed to a strong yen against the U.S. dollar.
“It is a good record to start the fiscal year but I am still not satisfied. We should still strive harder,” said MVA Board Chairman Dave M. Sablan.
Efforts of MVA to revive the island’s ailing tourism economy can only be a success if there are more direct flights from various destinations in Japan and Korea, he said. “Hopefully, we can tap other airlines to replace the routes abandoned by Continental Micronesia,” Sablan added.
Based on the direct flights statistics, there was a strong demand for the CNMI as a destination in Japan. Eighty-four percent of the total arrivals from Japan came from direct flights, while the remaining number came via Guam. Load factor from Tokyo increased 36 percent, and Osaka rose 49 percent.
Arrivals from Korea have consistently shown a steady improvement as it grew 80 percent primarily due to the daily service between Seoul and Saipan that began on Sept. 13, 1999. Five charter flights brought in by Asiana Airlines from Korea last October also contributed to the 79 percent rise in the load factor.
But arrivals from alternative markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China have remained poor as these declined 24 percent , 63 percent and 41 percent, respectively.
Sablan, a member of the Governor’s Aviation Task Force, is set to leave for Manila next week to discuss joint efforts with the Republic of Palau to tap Air Nauru in providing direct Palau-Manila-Saipan service. Air Nauru is reportedly planning to acquire a B737 for the expanded service.
“If Continental is unwilling to service the routes which they earlier dropped, then definitely there will be another airline willing to push for this destination,” said Sablan. (Lindablue F. Romero)
