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Japan arrivals down 2% in April
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Posted on May 15 2005
Arrivals from Japan declined by 2 percent in April, posting a decrease for the third consecutive month this year as a result of reduced airline seats to the Northern Marianas.
Marianas Visitors Authority statistics showed that 27,930 Japanese tourists visited the islands last month, slightly down from the 28,472 that came in April 2004.
Based on a regional breakdown, Tokai was the only region that registered a growth as compared to the same month last year. Tokai arrivals reached 3,332 last month, an 11-percent increase from the 2,999 that came in April 2004.
Kanto region, which includes Tokyo prefecture, continues to be affected by the decline in airline seats, MVA said.
The tourism agency noted that there was a 25-percent decrease in seat capacity from Tokyo, partly as a result of Japan Airlines changing its aircraft from 747 to DC-10 on the daily flights from Narita to Saipan.
Northwest Airlines, which had downsized its plane for its Tokyo-Saipan flights, has reinstated its 430-seat aircraft.
Visitors from Kanto, the CNMI’s biggest tourism market in Japan, comprised 15,578 of the total arrivals from Japan. This represents a 4-percent decrease from the same month last year.
For the month of April 2005, a total of 39,385 visited the CNMI, a slight decline of 0.53 percent or 210 less visitors compared to April 2004.
In April 2005, Guam recorded the largest increase. Arrivals from this market totaled 2,337 visitors, a 31-percent growth or 555 more visitors compared to the same month last year.
The large increase from the Guam market was attributed to the events that took place in the CNMI such as the 2005 XTERRA Saipan Championship, Tagaman Triathlon, Flame Tree Arts Festival, MVA said.
Other markets which posted growth in arrivals were Taiwan (up 202 visitors or 63 percent); Hong Kong (up 11 visitors or 70 percent); and China (up 88 visitors or 4 percent).
“For the month of April, we had many activities designed for sports enthusiasts and cultural and arts exhibition,” said MVA managing director Vicky Benavente. “We are happy to see that these activities attracted visitors from Guam and Asia to choose the CNMI as their destination of choice in April.”
