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Tinian duo tops MTEC Tourism App Challenge
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Posted on Feb 28 2023
The duo of Sofia Del Rosario and Adriel Lenteja of Tinian Jr./Sr. High bested seven other entries to win the Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism App Challenge this month.
The contest challenged students to design an app for visitors to the Marianas. The winning entry, “CNMI Eye” was given top marks for originality of the app idea, creativity of the app design, mobile user experience, and demonstration of indigenous cultures, traditions and/or values.
“Me and my partner saw how in the App Store there isn’t an app mainly for the CNMI,” said Del Rosario in their intro video of the app. “Not many people know about the islands, and we wanted to create an app that can help others learns and share around the world about the Northern Mariana Islands and the history and culture surrounding them.”
The app was created with Canva. It requires a sign in and highlights notable sites, hotels, and food on the main page. Search results can be filtered based on preferences. Site pages include location, phone, hours open, reviews, and other information. A user’s profile page is customizable and allows users to befriend each other. A navigation map with suggested routes is also included. Fun facts about the Marianas refresh every day, and other suggested websites are also linked.
For their work, team leader Del Rosario will receive $500 for her team. Winning second place and $300 was Roy Dip of Marianas High School for his app, Hafa Adai. Third place and $200 went to team leader Bernadette Fleming and teammate Carrika San Nicholas of Tinian Jr./Sr. High School with their app TravelNTour NMI.
“The MTEC is grateful to all the high school students who participated in the MTEC App Challenge competition,” said MTEC acting chair Vicky Benavente. “In their app challenge submissions, these young and talented students showcase the beauty and amenities that are available in the CNMI. Our next step is to move forward with further developing the app and promote travel to the CNMI.”
MTEC is a non-profit organization whose mission is three-fold: to foster community understanding and support of the visitor industry; to educate the 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 Ada-Tirow” hospitality spirit throughout the island community. (MTEC)
