Previous Story
‘Improvements on tourist spots on Rota continue’
|
Posted on Feb 20 2019
Six months following the onslaught of Typhoon Mangkhut on Rota, work continues to enhance major tourist spots on the island.
Gloria Cavanagh, Marianas Visitors Authority board member and Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands chair, said the changes that are being made to revive and improve tourist spots on Rota following Mangkhut are “absolutely gorgeous.”
“The ongoing projects are great even with the storm…pushed them back,” she added.
One of the spots that is still under renovation is the Bird Sanctuary, Cavanagh said. “We went to Bird Sanctuary and they did a lot of the work on the top area and they found they needed to do a little more work on the railings and so that’s the next step. …It’s a gem, it’s absolutely gorgeous, and it needed that work,” she said.
Although MVA is currently facing a budget crunch because of the drop in hotel occupancy, Cavangh said that money has already been allocated for the improvement of Rota’s tourist spots. The only issue is that construction has become more costly as a result of both Mangkhut and Super Typhoon Yutu.
“All of the projects are ongoing and the money has been set aside for those projects so there is nothing really that is holding it back other than, of course, problems with construction workers. After the storm, all construction costs have been elevated, so the projects on Rota as well as in Saipan and Tinian are getting more expensive,” she said.
Another issue Rota faces is still the lack of cheaper flights.
“It’s cost-restrictive. To go to Rota is still $250 to $260. We need a direct flight—something that’s a little bigger and more cost efficient. I know TanHoldings is spending a lot of money there to…build up the tourism market on Rota but because of…Mangkhut, everything is kind of pushed back,” she said.
MVA is still prepared to offer travel incentives for Rota to boost the tourism market on the island.
“I think it was last year when MVA reserved money to help with travel incentives for Rota. That money is still intact. … That funding was not used and that was basically allocated for that,” she said.
