Proposal by Northwest Airlines

We should give Northwest Airlines the accolades for its creative proposal to reboot the sagging tourism industry by bringing back its 747 jets to service the NMI from various Asian destinations dropped by other airlines in recent months.

It is comforting too that local leadership is upbeat to discussing the proposal submitted by Northwest Airlines for review. The sense of camaraderie with which local leadership met the people behind such positive plan is even more encouraging. There’s a sense of urgency to do something about the industry and buckling down to review specific requirements of the airline should enable both sides to forge lasting partnership.

The bottom line in this matter is the need for the financially strapped government to reboot revenue generation to meet the rising cost of vital public services now threatened by a deepening crisis. On the other hand, Northwest sees the economic downturn as a business opportunity and a way to revive the NMI’s tourism industry.
A win-win situation all around if it pans through!

Indeed, CPA’s plans to hike landing fees and other fees as the crisis deepens is the wrong prescription to reviving revenue generation. But it also had to seriously take into full view declining revenue generation against an obligation to meet its debt service in the bond flotation it took to improve air and sea ports here.

It is a responsible action plan slated to go into effect next year. But it may have to postpone it (increase in fees) in the interim as it reviews the long term benefits the entire NMI would reap under the proposed scheme. As this proposal receives deliberative review, we are equally hopeful too that all sectors in the tourism industry such as hotels, airlines, travel agencies, and key tourism related businesses would make it a point to converge to map-out programs to ensure that the NMI remains a competitive travel destination. It entails a collective effort to jointly plan the future of tourism here. This effort definitely requires marketing research and other requisite studies that we’ve substituted with complacency in years past.

The future of tourism has changed substantially and like an engine, we must ensure that all parts are humming efficiently, as we shift gears–up or down–in dealing with new trends in the behavior of Asian and Japanese travelers. It’s a must that we diligently meet new challenges in this industry. Si Yuus Maase`!