CNMI affirms key tourism partnerships in Korea

Gov. Arnold A. Palacios and representatives of the Marianas Visitors Authority met with key tourism partners in Korea this month to reaffirm ties and discuss opportunities for further collaboration.

The five-day series of meetings began on June 4, 2023, and included discussions with airlines, travel agencies, government departments, and other partners whose investments have helped make Korea the top source market for tourism in the Marianas.

“The meetings we had were very positive in terms of how our partners perceive their continued investment in the Marianas. It gives us confidence in the continued strong recovery of the Korea market,” said MVA acting board chair Gloria Cavanagh. “The trip was also an opportunity for Gov. Palacios to meet and dialogue with top decision-makers in the industry, which is an important part of setting the stage for the next four years of relations. In particular, we are grateful for during our visit of additional flights to the Marianas, and we look forward to building on the discussions we had.”

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip S. Goldberg, left, welcome CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios to the embassy on June 8, 2023, in Seoul. (Photos by MVA)

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios, front right, meets with Asiana Airlines executive vice president of Passenger Business Doo SungGuk, front left, on June 7, 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios, third left, meets with vice minister of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Eo Meyong-so, far right, on June 9, 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios, second right, meets with Yellow Balloon president Kim Jin Kook, second left, on June 8, 2023, at the travel agency headquarters in Seoul.

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios, sixth left, meets with Mode Tour president Yu In Tae, fourth right, on June 7, 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios, left, meets with T’Way Air CEO Jeong, Hong Guen on June 7, 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios meets with Jeju Airlines CEO Kim E-bae on June 7, 2023, in Seoul, Korea, to affirm ties with the air carrier.

CNMI Gov. Arnold A. Palacios, left, meets with CEO Song, Misun of Hana Tour, the No. 1 travel agency in Korea, on June 8, 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

While meeting with the delegation, Jeju Airlines CEO Kim E-bae announced the addition of a third daily flight between Seoul and Saipan beginning on June 29, 2023, capitalizing on high travel demand to the Marianas. Jeju already provides the highest seat supply to the destination via its double daily flights.

“The Northern Mariana Islands is one of the top destination markets for Koreans, and this additional route will help meet the growing demand,” said Kim. “We are looking at other ways we can increase seats and flight service to the CNMI and thank Gov. Palacios for his friendship and partnership.”

The delegation also met with T’Way Air CEO Jeong Hong Guen and other airline executives. Due to the recent cancellation of flights to Guam, which continues to recover from Typhoon Mawar, T’way has scheduled a series of eight semi-weekly charter flights to Saipan from July 23 to August. This is in addition to the daily flight T’way now operates to Saipan. With an average of 94% of those seats filled, the delegation invited T’way to consider adding more regular flights or utilizing larger aircraft to Saipan.

In his meeting with Asiana Airlines executive vice president of Passenger Business Doo SungGuk, Palacios expressed the Marianas’ appreciation for 30 years of partnership with the airline, while Asiana shared an overview of their marketing campaign for the destination and an update on sales.

A delegation paid a courtesy call on U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip S. Goldberg, who has joined by commercial officer Michael Kim and senior commercial specialist Jessica Son. The importance of the tourism as the primary export of the Marianas was discussed. Goldberg also offered to host a series of travel trade seminars for the Marianas in Korea.

Top executives of the leading travel agencies in Korea also welcomed the delegation for talks during the visit. President Yu In Tae of Mode Tour expressed his concern for the people of the Marianas affected by Typhoon Mawar, which heavily impacted the island of Rota. Discussions were also held on the need for all private and public partners to have a contingency plan should Korean travelers be delayed in their departure from the islands due to any natural disaster.

In a meeting with Ppresident Kim Jin Kook of Yellow Balloon Tour, the delegation expressed their appreciation for the company’s aggressive sales that have made Yellow Balloon one of the top-selling tour operators of the Marianas. The company noted that the Marianas shows the highest sales increase in proportion to promotional investment. Discussion was also held on educational tourism, including the fact that credits earned at Northern Marianas College are transferrable to many postsecondary institutions in the U.S. mainland.

CEO Song Misun of Hana Tour, the No. 1 travel agency in Korea, welcomed the delegation and announced they are working on a new product to capitalize on the Marianas as a multi-island destination. This year the tour company is developing a tour product specific to Tinian, which it believes will help differentiate the Marianas from other competitors and destinations. The Hana Tour team noted that price competitiveness is still a factor to be considered and that having affordable access and a unique tour product featuring multiple islands will be strategic in setting the Marianas apart. The MVA also introduced educational tourism opportunities for children and families.

Palacios’ final meeting of the trip was with vice minister of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Eo Meyong-so and other representatives of the Korea Ministry of Lands, Infrastructure and Transport in Sejong. MOLIT was the key partner in the Korea government in working with the Marianas in the midst of the pandemic to establish a travel bubble and restart international flights to Saipan. Palacios requested MOLIT’s active support for the continuance and support of airline service to the Marianas. He also highlighted the Marianas’ capabilities to respond to natural disasters, making Saipan one of the safest overseas destinations for Korean travelers.

Meetings were also held with other tourism partners. The MVA projects to recover over 266,899 air seats from Korea this fiscal year, about 80% compared to pre-pandemic numbers. (MVA)