High cost is natural barrier

At the risk of disillusioning both advocates and detractors of the proposed Marianas Trench Monument, hordes of tourists—or eco-tourists—visiting the actual site of the monument has never been part of any serious plan, vision, or presupposition for the monument that I know of.

As has been pointed out, the expense alone is prohibitive. On the other hand, it has been suggested that wealthy tourists might be willing to pay those higher costs in exchange for the privilege of visiting the monument area. That would be a “boon” rather than a “bane,” to use the language of the Island Locator, because per person, wealthier tourists generate more revenue, relatively speaking, than do those less well-to-do, and would most likely prompt an upgrade in at least some of the CNMI’s hotels and restaurants to accommodate them—again, good for the local economy. The costs, in other words, would thus provide a “natural” limit to the number of tourists visiting the actual monument area.

Moreover, assuming that the monument would be at least a sanctuary, if not a no-take protected zone, one would not want hordes of tourists in the monument area to begin with. It cannot function as a sanctuary if there are divers or snorkelers or swimmers or banana boats or fishermen all over the place. Thus, the fact that it is far away, and expensive to reach, is a positive value, not a negative one. The more difficult and costly it is to reach, the more effectively it will function as a sanctuary, or marine protected area.

It is possible that some enterprising entrepreneur might decide to offer group tours to the area, in a live-aboard type vessel. Water sports could be offered at the periphery of the monument—where, it is said, marine life would be nearly as prolific as it is projected to be within the monument area.

There have been suggestions that Pagan might be developed to serve as a staging area for those who do plan to visit the monument area—presumably, primarily scientists, researchers—and that a visitor center could be established there displaying research results, photographs, videos, etc. Pagan could serve as a stop along the way for the cruise ships—an added attraction, activity, to attract more tourists, local students on educational excursions, teachers on an educational seminar, or…

Re: the editor’s note: The high cost cited for the trip by the present Tribune publisher was no doubt due in large part to the cost of hiring the helicopter for the trip. But I don’t know how boat costs would compare.