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CNMI February 2012 visitor arrivals up 8%
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Posted on Apr 26 2012
February 2012 visitor arrivals to the Northern Mariana Islands were up 8 percent compared to February 2011.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, arrivals to the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota registered 36,332 visitors in February compared to 33,659 in February 2011.
Overall, visitor arrivals are up 6 percent this fiscal year to 161,981 visitors.
Arrivals from Japan dropped 12 percent to 15,335 in February, as the NMI received two daily flights from Narita for most of the month, compared to three daily flights in February 2011.
However, due to high demand during the peak travel season, Delta Air Lines operated a third weekly flight, and Asiana Airlines re-launched daily service from Osaka in December.
Arrivals from Korea were up 24 percent to 12,537 visitors. Delta Air Lines operated Busan-Saipan charter flights from Jan. 5 to Feb. 26, 2012 on Thursdays and Sundays, while Asiana Airlines has continued to operate its Busan-Saipan charter flights launched in November.
Arrivals from China increased 58 percent in February to 6,208 visitors. The number of air seats more than doubled in February 2012 compared to February 2011 due to last year, when the NMI only had two flights per week from Shanghai plus three charters from Beijing.
So far this fiscal year, the Northern Marianas has received over 80 percent more visitors from China as the same period last year. Increased arrivals from Korea and China helped offset decreased arrivals from Japan during the month.
Arrivals from Russia were down slightly at 2 percent to 367 visitors, while Guam also registered a 1-percent dip to 978 visitors.
However, arrivals were up in February from the United States (10 percent to 594), the Philippines (9 percent to 49), Hong Kong (33 percent to 52), and Other Areas (26 percent to 213). [B][I](MVA)[/I][/B]
