New welcome signs unveiled at Saipan airport

Less than a month after a power outage crippled Saipan’s airport and stranded scores of tourists, the Marianas Visitors Authority and Gov. Benigno Fitial unveiled a new welcome sign intended to improve visitor’s experience upon arrival to the CNMI.

The sign, donated by Tasi Tours, features Fitial in a grandfatherly pose with his arms on the shoulders of two local youngsters. The beach on Mañagaha Island stretches across the background and greetings in eight languages are aligned on its left side, including Chamorro and Carolinian.

In a speech, Fitial said the sign will give tourists “a sense of our culture and heritage,” later adding that “whatever international events may hold, our tourism industry can only thrive and prosper if we cater to our guests.”

Tasi Tours president Kazusuke Fukuju echoed those sentiments, saying the sign comes as the CNMI’s tourism industry is slowly recovering after a recent slump. The sign, he noted, will bolster visitors’ expectations as they arrive on Saipan and their perception of the Commonwealth.

“This is a sincere welcome to the passengers who have just arrived,” he said.

MVA managing director Perry Tenorio noted that the sign is a key addition after recent efforts to improve the appearance of the airport, such as new paint on the walls to “not make it feel so much like a hospital” and will make tourists “feel welcome.”

The new sign, however, comes after travelers at the airport Aug. 21 found themselves waiting for hours in terminals and on the runway without air conditioning after fuses at a sub-station near the airport blew, cutting the power. The incident prompted complaints and an apology from the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

After the unveiling, Fitial took questions from reporters and said that once the newly arrived emergency generators supplied by Aggreko are put into action today, incidents like the airport blackout will stop. The new sign, he said, will help the CNMI’s image among tourists recover after the outage.

“It will help,” he said. “It will definitely help and the power problem will be forever solved. We’re trying to give CPA power that is continuously on.”

After the Aggreko generators are switched on “those problems will be gone,” he added.

The sign will appear at several of the airport’s exits.