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Tourist arrivals down 17 pct
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Posted on May 16 2006
Japanese tourist arrivals in the Northern Marianas declined by 28 percent last month compared with the same month last year.
Data from the Marianas Visitors Authority released yesterday showed that visitors from Japan totaled 20,184 last month or 7,746 less than April 2005.
Japanese arrivals have been adversely affected by the pullout of Japan Airlines from Saipan in October last year. JAL used to bring over an average of 12,000 tourists a month.
Overall, MVA reported a 17-percent plunge in tourist arrivals last month. From 39,748 visitors in April 2005, the number was down to 32,981 last month.
During the first seven months of fiscal year 2006, the total number of visitors reached 254,981 or 18 percent, down compared with the same period in FY 2005.
CHINA, KOREA UP
Arrivals from China rose by 57 percent last month, with 3,278 visitors compared with 2,084 in April 2005.
So far this fiscal year, Chinese tourists totaled 22,497. During the same month last year, the number was down at 19,034.
Korean visitors also increased by 26 percent last month. MVA said that Korean arrivals reached 5,854 in April this year, up from last year’s 4,657.
Total visitors from Korea since October 2005 reached 43,553, up from last year’s 38,551.
TAIWAN, HONG KONG DOWN
Due to lack of direct flights, Taiwan arrivals went down 81 percent last month—from 232 visitors in April last year to 43 in April this year.
Hong Kong visitors also decreased by 64 percent, from 279 last year to 100 this year.
Arrivals from the U.S. mainland also plunged 48 percent, from 1,461 last year to 754 in April this year.
Guam arrivals also went down 18 percent, from 2,337 last year to 1,905 in April this year.
Arrivals from the Philippines was up, though, by 26 percent. From 341 visitors in April last year, the number grew to 428 last month.
Visitors from other areas also posted a 2-percent increase—from 427 in April last year to 435 visitors last month.
