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BSI CEO Brown says Saipan needs more rooms
Best Sunshine International Ltd. CEO Mark Brown said Saipan needs more rooms as tourism on the island is being continually promoted.
“I’m still a big proponent of rooms. As much as we talk about bringing more and more tours to the island, rooms are a factor, we know that. So we need to continue to build more rooms,” he said Friday.
Brown said they looking at opening by the end of next year a part of their Garapan site, which will have 300 rooms. He said it’s not a huge impact, unlike when they will open their next thousand-room site, but he hopes that other investors will come along in the meantime and build more rooms.
“Any hotel company out there that wants to build rooms, I’m all for it. The more rooms, the better for all of us,” he said.
Brown added that partnership with the community is important to them.
“We can’t survive without them. We need the locals to enjoy, have fun here. We need the local tours to bring people to our building, that’s how it works,” Brown said.
Last Friday, BSI welcomed more than 30 local tour agents on Saipan to their temporary facility at the T Galleria.
“We just want to let as many people as possible know about our company, our temporary facility here, what we’re doing in Garapan site,” Brown said.
“It’s more to present our company, how we value the travel agents as a partner in the tourism product mix, to let them know what we’re doing, what kind of offerings do we have,” BSI vice president for PR and marketing Mary Mendoza said.
According to Mendoza, they have been working with the Marianas Visitors Authority to introduce other forms of entertainment on Saipan apart from scuba diving, golfing, and snorkeling.
“This is an added-value activity for our visitors. I know Best Sunshine has more plans,” MVA managing director Perry Tenorio said.
“I think the casino is definitely an additional factor that appeals to the Chinese,” said T Galleria general manager Milan Rabold. “We’re very happy to have Best Sunshine.”
