Concepcion: Destination enhancement is our priority

Chris A. Concepcion

Christopher A. Concepcion, who returned to his role as Marianas Visitors Authority’s managing director less than a week ago, says one of his priorities is tackling the long ongoing destination enhancement issues the CNMI has been facing for years.

The question of who exactly is in charge of maintaining and improving popular tourist spots on island has long plagued the CNMI and Concepcion aims to tackle this issue.

“Destination enhancement is one of my key priorities. MVA and our partners, other government agencies, and partners in the private sector really need to focus on improving our islands like the tourist sites, facilities that need upgrading, and [coming up with] new and improved attractions. That’s key. These are all key factors in revitalizing our tourism industry,” he said.

When asked about the ongoing jurisdiction debacle regarding who is in charge of renovating and enhancing the island’s tourist sites, Concepcion said he and his team will be working closely with all other agencies and departments who may have jurisdiction over these sites, and finally address the much-needed improvements.

“The question of jurisdiction has historically always been an issue. We know that the Constitution grants all rights to the Department of Public Lands. However, there have been certain sites that have been designated to other departments to manage, but none of them have ever been designated to the MVA to manage. But historically, MVA has spent a lot of its funding on improving tourist sites, paying for security, and maintenance. So, we’re going to have to work closely without other departments and agencies to settle this jurisdiction issue and maybe it could establish joint jurisdiction. But we will have to see,” he said.

Another key initiative, Concepcion said, is ensuring that the Korea market maintains its positive momentum. “[The market] is growing and is much better than our previous projections. We’re excited about that, but we need to maintain the current momentum,” he said.

Just as important, Concepcion said, he and his team will also focus on efforts to revive the Japanese tourism market.

“That market, as everyone knows, has been the longest market in the CNMI and revitalizing it and making sure it is stable and continues to grow is very important for MVA,” he said.