Making Tourism Our Business: Spreading holiday cheer
The holidays are upon us, and this time of year always turns our minds to thoughts of gratitude, family, faith, and hope. And although challenges of our tourism industry remain, there is much to be grateful for, including a return to standard work hours for central government workers and new flights from Korea coming soon!
Area hotels, stores, and other businesses are assembling their Christmas displays to create a festive atmosphere in our main tourist district of Garapan, and the Marianas Visitors Authority will soon be stirring holiday cheer with overhead string lights brightening the nighttime streets of Paseo de Marianas, illuminated palm trees in the Beach Rd. medians, and more.
We would like to invite each and all to join our spirit-lifting Christmas in the Marianas festivities planned for all three islands. This year Saipan will have two Saturdays of celebration on Dec. 7 and 14. Join us beginning at 5:30pm for a full evening of fun at Paseo de Marianas (drivers, Paseo will be closed to vehicle traffic on those evenings). Young people from our local schools will be entertaining the community for two great evenings of Christmas caroling, costumes and performances. Or stop by any time after Dec. 7 to check out the student Christmas trees decorated with handmade natural and recycled material, always an interesting and surprising display of creativity! A big thanks also to PDM Promoters, Team PDI, our local schools—William S. Reyes Elementary School, Hopwood Middle School, Grace Christian Academy, Green Meadow School, Tanapag Middle School, Saipan International School, Garapan Elementary School, Dandan Middle School, Northern Marianas International School, Agape Christian School, San Vicente Elementary School, Kagman Elementary School, Brilliant Star School, Mount Carmel School, Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary, Saipan Community School, Da’ok Academy, Oleai Elementary School, Saipan Southern High School, Marianas High School, Saipan Community School, and Admiral Hopwood Middle School—for helping the MVA put on this celebration, along with this year’s sponsors Tinian Diamond Hotel and I-shop.
On Rota, they’ll be lighting the official Christmas Tree on Dec. 7 at 7pm in Songsong. Local residents throughout the island are already putting together plans to decorate their homes and yards for a chance to win a nice little cash prize from Santa. Others are planning their floats for the Christmas parade scheduled for Dec. 14, beginning at the Rota Roundhouse in Songsong at 5:30pm and finishing at the Tun Kindo Baseball Field in Sinapalo.
Tinian is hosting the Christmas in the Marianas Variety Show on Dec. 13 beginning at 5pm at the Fiesta Grounds in San Jose. Join revelers of all ages showcasing their caroling, costumes, and performances. Food vendors will be on hand, as well. It’s always a pleasure for the MVA to partner with our mayors’ offices in Tinian and Rota to put on events like these for visitors and our community.
On another positive note, we’re excited that our partner Commonwealth Council for Arts & Culture has reduced the cost of vendors fees to join the Garapan Street Market, which will resume on Thursdays at Paseo de Marianas beginning Dec. 5 and into the new year (with a one-week hiatus on Dec. 12 in order to shift traffic to the Kantan Isla concert at Garapan Fishing Base). This is an excellent opportunity for our visitors to engage with local vendors and craftspeople, and the food vendor fees are now a very affordable $50/night. To sign up, contact the Arts Council executive director Gloriana Teuira at glorianafolkarts@gmail.com.
The holidays are usually a busier travel season: on Dec. 8, Commonwealth Constitution Day, an additional daily flight from Seoul-Incheon will resume, and on Dec. 20 we will begin receiving twice weekly flights from Busan, Korea’s second largest metropolis. There are many variables affecting tourist arrivals that are beyond our local control, but one thing that every single person in the Marianas can take responsibility for to help tourism is hospitality. Or as we say to the school children, just be friendly. Today’s traveler wants more than the beach or a resort or a day tour. They want to make connections in their destination, experience authentic culture, and have the type of visit that generates a positive emotion. These are things the Marianas offers in spades that are already part of our culture—and don’t require any additional funding.
Let’s continue to show the world what makes the Marianas one of the best places they’ll ever visit—our people and our beautiful, clean nature. How about greeting our visitors with Christmas caroling outside airport arrivals for any of the flights we receive each day or in hotel lobbies? We invite you to spread holiday cheer to all our visitors this season however you can—a friendly smile, a warm greeting…or maybe even a sampling of kelaguen or buenelos dagu.
Christopher A. Concepcion is the managing director of the Marianas Visitors Authority.
