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Chinese tourists limited to Saipan, Tinian
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Posted on Dec 08 2004
Citing defense reasons, Marianas Visitors Authority chairman David Sablan said the movement of Chinese tourists will be confined only to Saipan and Tinian.
Sablan made this announcement following a call from the Pacific Asia Travel Agency to take caution in approaching the Chinese tourism market to ensure that the islands attract only high quality travelers.
“Chinese tourists will not be allowed beyond Saipan and Tinian in the interest of defense,” Sablan told MVA members during a meeting on Tuesday. He however refused to elaborate, apparently in consideration of the sensitive nature of diplomatic relations between China and the CNMI.
The Commonwealth is scheduled to receive from the Chinese government this month the sought-after approved destination status. The ADS would allow the islands to conduct a more aggressive marketing campaign in China, which is projected to be the next biggest tourism market in the world.
According to PATA, China sent out 30 million travelers in 2004, a huge leap from the 4.5 million outbound Chinese tourists in 1993. Even with the SARS outbreak and the Iraq war, an estimated 20 million Chinese tourists traveled abroad in 2003.
