Propst bats for controlled dev’t

Following the flood of tourist arrivals, Rep. Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan) wants the government to slow down and control development in the CNMI.

The CNMI had a total of 501,489 tourist arrivals in 2016, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority. It was a 4.55-percent increase compared to 2015’s numbers of 479,679, an almost 10 percent jump compared to the numbers in 2014.

Propst said that controlled economic development is one of the serious issues that he discusses with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres whenever he has a chance to talk to CNMI’s chief executive officer. “I know the governor wants to diversify our tourism industry.”

“We need controlled economic development, that’s something I firmly believe in and the governor is all for that during our extensive talks. There are other things that we need to pursue.”

Propst said the CNMI should look at other island nations in the Pacific or within the Micronesian region like Palau, which has also seen a dramatic growth in tourist arrivals, most especially from China, which had doubled in the last two years.

“Look at the impact of all of this tourism growth on Palau. Palau President [Tommy] Remengesau and Palauans are concerned about the impact of this on their environment.”

He said Remengesau has suggested cutting back the number of chartered flights flying to Koror. “The influx of all these tourists is having an impact on their environment. Palauans are very concerned about this.”

Some Palauans have been complaining that several tourists are disrespectful to the islands’ pristine environment and are too noisy. Tourism accounts for more than 80 percent of Palau’s gross domestic product.

Remengesau even proposes a new law that would make it difficult for budget travelers to visit their country.

“They [Palauans] wanted to increase the quality of visitors to their country, not the quantity. That’s what they are focusing on. If you want to come to Palau, you need to spend some money. We need to see more of that as well here in the CNMI,” said Propst.

The CNMI also has its share of problems like long lines at the airport, particularly at immigration, which could have a negative impact on visitors. A number of spearfishing incidents have also been reported, endangering not only the species’ natural habitat but also other swimmers.

Tourists’ driving skills, where they either just make sudden stops in the middle of the road or take an abrupt U-turn, have also become a common complaint.