The future’s now!

The CNMI has reached the end of a forked road with a sign that says, “The Future’s Now!” It must make a crucial decision on how to improve, beyond conventional wisdom, its single most important economic foundation: tourism.

The issue is a matter of policy decision. It needs the joint effort of policymakers on both sides of the hill. It includes an urgent need to resolve the emplacement of an expanded basic infrastructure, i.e., highway, water, power and sewer for major investments moving to the northern part of Saipan.

The point that should be uppermost in policymakers’ mind is: How do we improve upon the only industry that feeds the local coffers? Moreover, how do we scaffold it so it is sustainable over the long haul, capable of meeting our revenue needs with stability?

The investment for the northern end of the island has begun moving. Have we given it equal agility to meet investors’ requirements in basic infrastructure and other complimentary facilities? It’s already in the harbor. We’ve granted it public land to assist in the expansion of our tourism industry. Shouldn’t we be burning the midnight oil to ensure we complement the impending mega investment?

It’s all in the palm of our hands. It is here when we must learn to help ourselves!

Investment in the islands is basically a partnership. The investor comes in with millions of dollars to build planned visitor facilities, among others. Ours is to provide basic infrastructure like water, power, road expansion, and sewer to meet the needs of our partner at least halfway.

There are capital improvement funds for this purpose. It’s a matter of prioritizing how those funds are spent. For now, there’s a need to move use of these funds up north to expand water, power, sewer and roads. If this is done on a timely basis, the construction of the Sunshine 100 project ought to begin and complete on time.

Tourism doesn’t begin and end in hotel rooms, trips to dilapidated and unmaintained visitor sites, or counting visitor arrival. It takes our improving the platform on services and attractions to lure the wealthier visitors. What are these services?

Just to illustrate a point on services: A certain hotel in Japan caters to top guns of the largest corporations. It’s a membership hotel with a certain annual fee that includes superb services and a round of golf in a fully manicured 18-hole links. If the businessman brings his wife, she’s given a $5,000 gift certificate to spend at the mini-mall downstairs. It’s excellence in service for its clientele.

Of course, we don’t have the financial wherewithal for gift certificates for visitors to spend at gift shops. But there are services that require significant improvements. Call it “hospitality,” For instance, are rooms throughout the hotels up to international standards? Why do we have suites with rugs that are as old as dinosaurs with strange odor? Shouldn’t rooms be upgraded so it offers real comforts to our guests who grace these isles?

Restaurants and entertainment: Shouldn’t we be offering a “welcoming” night to visitors with fiesta-like food spread that includes roasted pig known as “cha`an” (equivalent to a luau) and other local delicacies to show our visitors our indigenous food? Is it hard to begin this by giving each visitor flower leis of our Marianas Flower? Music and entertainment are aplenty but only needs strong organization so we show off the real dance and music of the islands.

How about exploring cottage-type hotels? This is very popular in Kauai and the Bahamas. Shouldn’t we explore this for the smaller islands like Pagan, Tinian, and Rota? How about cruise-type accommodations with an overnight stopover on Pagan before heading home to Japan? The island has a lot of natural hot springs that could be developed for visitors, right? A cultural center, anybody?

Overall, it’s all about service, isn’t it? It includes courtesy from we the host to visitors, right? It’s all about making sure they enjoy the triad of the sun, sand, and sunset by ensuring their protection. We want them to leave with a sweet taste in their mouth for being showered excellent Marianas hospitality!

The planned investments, including those waiting in the wings on alternative energy, could very well serve as the signature investment of this administration and Legislature. It’s investment you could hang your hat on for life in and out of office. You could proudly claim you were a part of the working team that made anchor investments possible.

Government policies are needed to trigger moving the needle of economic growth forward. Such undertaking would allow for a thriving economy. The jobs will follow. The only thing needed in this case is a strong political decision to move forward. Everything else is academic once the ship of lasting investments moves out of the harbor of bankruptcy or fiscal impotence. Think about it.

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Nearly 10 years ago, I got off in Houston where visitors from Japan boarded more than two huge buses headed to their hotels. The idea kept swirling in mind, you know, that many Japanese visiting Houston. How about a tropical island?

I learned that the trip wasn’t purely leisure but business as well. Texas has its own culture and famous for its steak, barbecue, and beef jerky too. It has a lot to offer our friends from the Land of the Rising Sun. We can’t match Texas in its natural ambiance and attractions, but we certainly can begin thinking of improving upon services and hospitality to lure returning visitors.