Japanese tour agents, families to visit Saipan starting April

Some 300 tour agents from Japan and their families are expected to fly to Saipan between April and June this year for a first-hand experience of Saipan as part of marketing efforts to rejuvenate the critical and fragile Japanese market in the CNMI, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said yesterday.

Torres also said “cosmetic” improvements to infrastructure in Garapan, Saipan’s tourist district, is eyed to address concerns of Japan tour agents and tourist.

Torres, who met with the Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands yesterday to express his continued support of the Japanese market, said Delta Airlines will be bringing in staff and family and will be accommodated in island hotels.

“They are going to do that that throughout the whole HANMI association to accommodate the Japanese tour agents” and “promote Saipan on a first-hand experience,” Torres said, “so that when they go back to Japan they know exactly what to sell, how to sell it, and when tourists ask them about their experiences, they can actually relate to them.”

Torres reiterated his call yesterday to diversify the CNMI’s tourism market.

“30, 30, 30,” Torres said, meaning target tourist market distributions of 30 percent Japanese, 30 percent Chinese, and 30 percent Korean.

Torres wants to support the “historical relationship” between Japan and the CNMI and support a “healthier environment” with a diversified tourism market.

“We expect to double [the market for tourism] in the next couple of years. Maybe two or three years,” Torres said. “There is more than enough businesses for every tourist partnership.”

Right now, the Japan market is critical and fragile and I wanted to assure HANMI, [the Marianas Visitors Authority], and the new executive director” Chris Concepcion they would “prioritize the Japanese market,” he added.

Asked “how” they would sell Saipan to these tour agents, Torres said he personally would be present to assure the government’s commitment. He also said his administration will commit to reprogram money for tourism and marketing efforts in Japan, among others.

Torres said another issue to address are the concerns of Japanese tourists and Japanese agents, which are exemplified in concerns about poor lighting in Garapan, and a call to establish one-way streets in Garapan to make traffic more accessible, on top of work on sidewalks and other infrastructure.

“There are some cosmetics that [tour agents] requested. We are moving in making that happen,” Torres said. “I am listening to their needs, both long term and short term goals, and we want to show them [our Japanese partners] their priority.

HANMI is also concerned, Torres said, about the budget of the Marianas Visitors Authority, particularly how funds from hotel occupancy taxes meant for the tourism body gets reprogrammed to other government agencies.

“Over the years, they’ve seen this slashed and used elsewhere,” Torres said.

Torres said he assured the association that they would get full support on their priorities whether it is the Japan market or tourist destination areas.

Torres said they want to explore using those funds accordingly.

The MVA, as the CNMI’s tourism agency, receives funding from hotel occupancy tax earmarks and other sources.