Visitor arrival post modest growth in Nov.

Visitor arrivals for the month of November rose 5.5 percent increase totaling 41,480 compared to the same period in the previous year, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Japan, the island’s main market, jumped 7 percent, which tourism officials attributed to the recent strength of the yen, increase in air capacity and additional charter flights, MVA said.

The termination of direct service from Saipan to various cities in Japan by Continental Micronesia was compensated by the additional charter service by Japan Airlines. Arrivals record in December may show a big improvement with the charter flights of All Nippon Airways for the Christmas season and the millennium travel package.

JAL had five charter flights that brought in approximately 1,250 visitors from Japan last month. In addition, airline seats capacity from Tokyo jumped 12 percent compared with November 1998.

Such increase was due to the upgrade in aircraft by Northwest from DC-10 to B747, which resulted in a 17 percent growth.

Arrivals from Korea, the second biggest market, showed the biggest jump with 46 percent although it was below the average growth rate experienced during the previous months. In fact, there were only two extra flights for the month of November compared to the six extra flights in October.

Asiana’s daily service between Seoul and Saipan assured the continued growth of the Korean market.

Arrivals from the United States, also a good source of visitors, dropped 38 percent. Taiwan, considered an alternative market, declined 73 percent, while Hong Kong showed some promise with the 14 percent increase.

Amid the slow growth in visitor arrivals, tourism officials in the CNMI have been trying to entice carriers to serve new markets as well as provide direct service to the routes earlier dropped by Continental Micronesia, the region’s main air carrier.

At the same time, MVA is bent on pursuing the huge tourist market in mainland China as the Pacific Asia Travel Association Micronesia Chapter has included it in its agenda marketing campaign next year.

While PATA members believes that Japan will remain the biggest market in Micronesia, they also recognized the fact that China is one huge source of visitors that cannot be ignored.

The CNMI has been trying to tap nationals from the People’s Republic of China, but an existing ban on their entry doused efforts to take a second look at this alternative market.

Despite the restrictions on their entry, the CNMI may still be able to entice Chinese tourists to come here by first allowing PROC nationals who have already traveled to Japan, Australia and the United States.

While this number of Chinese tourists may be limited, MVA Managing Director Perry Tenorio said he would like to pursue the market but at the same time take into consideration the immigration rules in the CNMI.