MVA reports 3-percent jump in June arrivals

The Marianas Visitors Authority on Friday revealed monthly statistics showing a slight jump in June tourist arrivals compared to last year, an increase linked to the revival of airline services to the Commonwealth and an aggressive marketing campaign overseas. This is the third straight month that MVA reported increases in arrival numbers.

The Commonwealth saw 30,936 tourists in June, a 3-percent bump over the 29,989 seen in the same month last year, the MVA’s tally says. Much of this growth occurred in key Asian markets like Japan, Korea and Russia. Guam arrivals also rose by 3 percent.

“While our primary markets, Japan and Korea continue to show growth, we recognize the importance of our secondary markets,” said MVA managing director Perry Tenorio in a statement. “We are strongly capitalizing on new source markets such as Russia.”

The resumption of flights from Osaka and charter services to Rota, MVA said in the statement, was responsible for a significant boost in Japanese tourism, which also saw a 3-percent increase. Japanese visitors in June totaled 15,904, while last June that number stood at 15,446.

Moreover, the MVA notes its offices have procured $12 million worth of free advertising in Japan to bolster the Commonwealth’s image. “Without partnerships between MVA and the private sector, this would not have been possible to achieve,” MVA said.

Added flights from Seoul and Busan have contributed to growth in the Korean tourism market as Asiana Airlines is poised to increase service to the Commonwealth even further in the coming months.

A total of 9,616 visitors Korean visitors arrived in June, compared to 9,139 in June 2007—a 5 percent increase. Korean tourism to date is up 31 percent over last year, MVA said.

MVA said Korean arrivals are expected to stabilize since it has been one year since the launch of the daytime flight from Seoul on May 27, 2007.

Meanwhile, Russian tourism saw a 158-percent increase in June over last year, making it the top market performer, yet the total number of Russian visitors remains low at 834 for the month.

Other notable market increase for the month of June includes Guam, which is up 3 percent, and others. In June, the CNMI hosted two sporting events including the Oceania Championship and Grand Prix and the 2008 Asia-Pacific Tournament, which included participants from different countries.