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Tinian eyes direct Beijing flights in mid 2006
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Posted on Dec 22 2005
TINIAN—Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino hopes to see increased arrivals of Chinese tourists beginning spring next year owing to the anticipated direct flights from Beijing.
TDHC general manager Tom Liu said that at the rate the negotiation is going, Beijing flights would be coming in by May next year.
Three airlines are expected to participate in these charter flights: China Southern Airline, China Eastern Airline, and Air China.
“We’re expecting to see Beijing flights in time for the long holidays beginning May,” said Liu.
China holds its seven-day holiday for Labor Day beginning May 1 each year.
Oct. 1-7 is China’s National Day weeklong holiday.
The Chinese weeklong New Year holiday begins on Jan. 29, 2006.
In earlier reports, Pacific Oriental Inc. general manager Frank Camacho said that two charter flights from Beijing will bring in passengers to Saipan in January for the Chinese New Year.
Camacho said China Eastern Airlines is scheduled to fly from Beijing on Jan. 29 and 31, 2006.
POI provides ground-handling services for the flights.
These two flights would add to the four weekly charters from the two other cities in China. Tinian Dynasty & Casino charters the China Southern Airlines for two flights weekly from Guangzhou.
It partners with Century Tours in chartering two China Eastern Airlines flights weekly from Shanghai.
The Marianas Visitors Authority recently said that it remains upbeat over the China market, although tourist arrivals goal of 50,000 was not met in fiscal year 2005.
As of Sept. 30, 2005, the MVA only recorded some 32,000 tourists from China.
The CNMI received its Approved Destination Status from the Chinese government on Dec. 31, 2005.
To date, however, no air carrier provides regular flights between China and the CNMI.
