6 new markets for tourism identified

The CNMI government through the Strategic Economic Development Council has identified six emerging tourist markets expected to help revive the local tourism industry, following three years plagued with dwindling visitor arrivals.

These new markets are anticipated to help the administration of Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio achieve its goal to welcome additional 37,000 visitors in the Northern Marianas by end of the Fiscal Year 2001 in September next year.

The Commonwealth has been advised to put emphasis on the emerging tourism markets in Asia that include Pusan in South Korea, Taipei, and Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sendai in Japan.

According to the initial set of recommendations submitted by the SEDC to Mr. Tenorio, increased efforts to encourage more air transport services between Saipan and key cities in Asia should allow the CNMI to yield 563,000 visitors by end-September 2001.

Part of the SEDC recommendation also include the groundwork that would pave the road for more international air transport services to the Northern Marianas, especially the extension of Continental Airlines’ Osaka-Saipan and Nagoya-Saipan flights.

The Air Service Committee of the economic body created by Mr. Tenorio pointed out that this will be made possible through intensified promotion by the Marianas Visitors Authority of new routes served by signatory carriers.

In order to press the CNMI Legislature to earmark money especially for this task, the Council adopted a resolution asking for the passage of legislation that will make funds collected from aviation liquid fuel tax to MVA.

The Council mentioned the need to maintain positive relationships with airlines by means of creating incentives to encourage carriers to maintain flights and dispatch additional services to the CNMI, as well as to attract new airlines to serve the islands.

The Council earlier commended the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s efforts in cutting back airport charges which strengthened the CNMI’s competitiveness as a prime tourist destination.

Bob Jones, chairman of the SEDC committee on air service initiative, said CPA’s earlier decision to rollback charges at the Saipan International Airport makes it easier to sell the CNMI as a destination to airline companies.

He mentioned the Airline Incentive Program implemented by the ports authority as part of its contribution to revitalize CNMI’s tourism industry by encouraging carriers to increase traffic haul to the islands.

The Airline Incentive Program grants CNMI signatory airlines 50 percent off on landing and departure fees. Because of this, total number of passenger arrivals at the Saipan International Airport soared 30 percent , from 33,093 in April 1999 to 42,999 this year.

From the beginning of the Fiscal Year 2000 up until April, CPA records showed the number of international passengers arriving at and leaving Saipan’s air transport facility exceeded the level registered during the previous fiscal year.

SEDC has laid out concrete plans to increase arrival figures to 810,000 passengers by the year 2005 which could not be possible without the ports authority’s assistance in pulling down airport charges.