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‘NMI open to Travel Bubble with other destinations if…
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Posted on Sep 10 2021
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said the CNMI is open to entering a new Travel Bubble arrangement with other tourist destinations like Japan as long as they have good percentage of COVID-19 herd immunity, among other factors.
Torres said Japan is obviously the CNMI’s priority market but the administration is cognizant of its COVID-19 situation.
“We are open to other destinations, but at the same time, it matters on their side of protocol when it comes down to their tourists leaving their country,” he said.
Torres discussed about possible new Travel Bubble arrangements when asked during his radio press briefing Friday about any plan to have another familiarization tour with other travel markets, considering that the CNMI has received nothing but praise from the FAM tour participants.
The FAM Tour, which was organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority as a sort of test run for the CNMI-South Korean Travel Bubble, consisted of four tour agencies, South Korean media, social media influencers, and heads of some airlines.
FAM Tour participants shared that they felt safe during their over two-week trip to the CNMI last July despite the pandemic. They described the CNMI as safe, wonderful, and clean.
Torres said they had a delegation that flew to South Korea to meet with the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation and that there have been numerous discussions on how to strengthen the CNMI’s relationship and partnership with them.
He said it’s not as easy as South Korea in working out a Travel Bubble program with other tourist destinations because of their COVID-19 situation.
The governor said they are open to having a similar FAM Tour with Japan, but at the same time the CNMI’s priority is public health and the safety of the community.
Torres said they continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation of Japan and other tourist destinations.
He said the things that they look for in order for the CNMI to move forward in signing a new Travel Bubble are the easing of COVID-19 protocols in other destinations and if they have higher number of COVID-19 herd immunity percentages.
