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MVA encourages everyone to join the Walk for Tourism
The tourism industry has had a tough time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. With vaccination rates rising and people starting to look for vacation destinations once again, the Marianas Visitors Authority is eager to get a head start on promoting tourism to Saipan and the CNMI, with the islands hoping to re-open to tourists in June or July.
As May is CNMI Tourism Month, they are encouraging awareness of the upcoming return of Saipan’s largest industry. As part of this month’s promotional events, the MVA is putting on a walk-a-thon this weekend.
The Walk for Tourism is taking place tomorrow morning, May 22. The walk will start and end from the Minatchom Atdao Pavilion along Beach Road, right across from the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Registration opens at 6am, and the 5-kilometer walk will start an hour after that, at 7am. This walk-a-thon has no entry fee, so everyone is encouraged to come down and join in.
To add a bit of competitive fun, there is also a costume contest! Participants can show up to walk in their best tourist costumes, and the three best costumed walkers will receive cash prizes of $100 for first, $75 for second, and $50 for third. Costumes are judged on creativity, originality, effort, and theme.
In addition to the costume contest, the first 100 registrants will receive a free Tourism Month T-shirt, so be up early!
Jack Aranda of the MVA hopes to have a good turnout this weekend. “We encourage the people to come and join this walk-a-thon, as it’s a good start for tourism. We may not have flights, but we do want to do something locally, to keep everything flowing.”
Cody Race
cody.race111@gmail.com
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