Hotel group signs on as a Tourism Summit sponsor

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands chair Gloria Cavanagh, center, donates $1,000 on Dec. 16, 2019, at Pacific Islands Club Saipan to the Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism Summit, which be held on Jan. 23, 2020, with hundreds of school MY WAVE Club members. From left are MTEC board member Catherine Perry, Cavanagh, and MTEC chair Vicky Benavente. (Contributed Photo)

The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands is lending its support to the Marianas Tourism Education Council in their work to educate students on the importance of tourism and how they can be involved in the industry, even at a young age.

HANMI chair Gloria Cavanagh presented a check for $1,000 to MTEC chair Vicky Benavente and MTEC board member Catherine Perry, on Dec. 16, 2019, at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan. The funds will go toward the upcoming MY WAVE (Marianas Youth Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically) Club Tourism Summit for CNMI Public School System students on Jan. 23, 2020.

“HANMI is exceptionally pleased to support MTEC again this year in their efforts to engage young people in meaningful discussions and activities about tourism and, more importantly, the role young people play in the supporting tourism,” said Cavanagh. “The MTEC Tourism Summit is one of the highlights of HANMI’s annual calendar of events, and we expect the participating students will be informed and inspired at the summit.”

HANMI joins sponsors D&Q, DFS T Galleria E-Land Group (Kensington Hotel and PIC Saipan), Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Kanoa Resort, Matson, and Sorenson Media Group. The theme of this year’s summit, co-organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority, is “VolunTOURISM: Learn today. Lead tomorrow.” reflecting the opportunities available to students to engage with the industry and learn today in preparation for the leadership roles they will take in the industry in the future. This year’s summit will be held at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan with students from MY WAVE Clubs in grades 5-12 chosen by their respective schools to participate.

“Even as anon-profit organization themselves, HANMI has been a regular donor to MTEC for many years, and we are extremely grateful for their continued partnership as we share the tourism message with the younger generation,” said Benavente. “We’re again expecting 300 to 400 students for this year’s summit, and we’re looking forward to an educational and fun day of volun-tourism activities.”

The summit will also feature exhibits by MVA, Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance, and others. Interested sponsors may contact MVA community projects specialist Jack Aranda at jaranda@mymarianas.com or MVA community projects manager Martin Duenas at mduenas@mymarianas.com or call 661-3210 for a sponsorship package.

MTEC was formed in 2002 to heighten the community’s awareness of the importance of tourism to the well-being of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. MTEC’s stated mission is three-fold: to foster community understanding and support of the visitor industry; educate the general public, especially school students, about the value, social benefits, and economic contributions made to the community by the visitor industry; and to instill, improve and promote the Hafa Adai-Tirow hospitality spirit throughout the island community. (MTEC)