Remengesau to speak at MTEC Tourism Summit in Jan.

The Marianas Tourism Education Council will hold its annual MTEC Tourism Summit for CNMI Public School System students on Jan. 28, 2016, at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan. Palau President Tommy Remengesau, a world leader in environmental conservation, will be one of the summit’s speakers.

The summit is expected to gather 300 MY WAVE Club members to learn more about tourism, with special emphasis on the ocean as one of the Northern Mariana Islands’ more important tourist attractions.

“The annual tourism summit gathers the MY WAVE clubs from the schools to increase awareness of the value of sustainable tourism development, “said MTEC chair Vicky Benavente. “The No. 1 reason visitors come to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota is to enjoy nature. This year, we are partnering with local offices and organizations to teach the students the value of our biggest natural resource, our warm and clean ocean. It is a tremendous honor to have President Remengesau accept our invitation to share his vision and work with the MY WAVE Clubs.”

This year’s summit theme is “One Ocean, One Heart” and will also feature remarks by former CNMI lieutenant gvernor and avid fisherman Diego Benavente and Dr. Peter Houk, assistant professor of marine biology at the University of Guam.

The following offices and organizations will also provide hands-on demonstrations at breakout stations during the summit: Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance, Division of Fish and Wildlife, NMI Arts Council, Coastal Resources Management, and the Marianas Visitors Authority.

MTEC/MVA will be contacting schools with MY WAVE Clubs shortly to advise how students may register for the Tourism Summit. Seating is limited and will be coordinated by the MVA. For more information, contact MVA Community Programs specialist II Ryan Calvo or PR & Community Programs manager Martin Duenas at 664-3200/3201.

MTEC was formed in 2002 to heighten the community’s awareness of the importance of tourism to the wellbeing of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. MTEC’s stated mission is three-fold: to foster community understanding and support of the visitor industry; educate the general public, especially school students, about the value, social benefits, and economic contributions made to the community by the visitor industry; and to instill, improve and promote the “Hafa Adai-Tirow” hospitality spirit throughout the island community. (MTEC)