Tourist arrivals down 5.6 percent

Visitor arrivals to the Northern Marianas dropped by 5.6 percent last month, as compared with June 2004, due to decreased airline seats capacity from the Commonwealth’s two biggest tourist markets.

The CNMI received only 43,155 visitors in June 2005, posting the biggest percentage decline since the start of the current fiscal year.

The number of visitors from Japan—the CNMI’s primary market—reached only 30,469 in June, sliding 7 percent from the same month last year.

The Marianas Visitors Authority noted that the 15-percent drop in arrivals from the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, contributed greatly to the overall decline of total arrivals from Japan. This decline was not offset even by growths registered by the Kansai and Tokai regions, the second and third largest markets from Japan.

Arrivals from Kansai region, which includes areas such as Osaka and Kinki, registered a 4-percent increase, while Tokai region, which includes Nagoya, reported an 8-percent increase compared to June 2004.

MVA attributed the growths from both regions to aggressive and continued promotional campaigns by the airlines and travel agents.

Korean arrivals also showed a 16-percent decline compared to the same month in 2004. “This performance was contributed from the 24-percent decline in airline seats capacity for the month of June 2005 compared to June 2004,” MVA said.

The tourism agency recalled that, in June 2004, Asiana Airlines brought in 12 extra flights from Korea. Asiana Airlines recently announced that the planned extra flights from Seoul during the summer months might not proceed due to non-availability of aircraft.

“In light of the new legislations which provide MVA with supplemental funds, we are working on programs to promote awareness of the destination and to compete aggressively in the Japan and Korea markets,” said MVA managing director Vicky Benavente.

China was the top performing market in June 2005, generating 2,419 visitors for the Northern Marianas. This represents a 39-percent increase compared to the same month in 2004.

“The positive performance was fueled by an increase in seat capacity compared to June 2004. Seat capacity increased from 2,376 seats in June 2004 to 3,335 seats in June 2005, a 41-percent growth or 978 additional seats,” MVA noted.

Other markets that registered increase in arrivals were Taiwan, with 253 visitors or a 1,087-percent increase; Hong Kong with 229 visitors or 60-percent growth, and the United States with 2,137 visitors or 9-percent increase.

The growth in the U.S. market was the direct result of arrivals of military vessels such as the USS Houston, USS Stethem, USS Charlotte, and USS Salt Lake City, and the Pacific Princess cruise ship.

In June 2005, there were five vessels that docked on Saipan as opposed to three vessels in June 2004. As a result, the number of visitors via ship showed an increase of 46 percent compared to the same month last year.