Light up Saipan project underway

Expecting an increase in visitor arrivals this Christmas, the Marianas Visitors Authority and First Lady Sophie Tenorio are coordinating on a plan to install lights along Beach Road to brighten up the holiday season.

Assisting the First Lady is Annie Sablan, wife of Lt. Gov. Jesus Sablan.

Mrs. Tenorio and Mrs. Sablan are meeting with government agencies to seek assistance in carrying out the project. The lights are expected to be installed on the first day of December.

The lights will be on until New Year.

At the same time, the Island Beautification Task Force is identifying sites that will be adorned with Christmas decorations.

The decorations will not only lend a festive air but also depict the island’s culture, according to Perry J. Tenorio, managing director of the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Cashing in on the popular millennium package trips, tour operators have started marketing the CNMI as a holiday destination.

Asiana Airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will operate charter flights to cater to the expected increase in the number of tourists.

ANA will operate 10 Osaka-Saipan charter flights from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2000 in connection with the millennium package tour being marketed by Pacific Micronesia Tours, Inc. and Tasi Tours, subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Japan Travel Bureau Inc.–– the biggest tour operator in the world. The airline will use a B767 aircraft which can accommodate 260 passengers.

With the expected increase in visitor arrivals from Korea during the honeymoon season, Asiana Airlines will carry out Pusan-Seoul chartered flights twice a week beginning Oct. 12 until end of December.

Asiana will use a B737 with a seating capacity of 145 in its Pusan-Saipan charter flights. Pusan, located south of Korea, is considered a big source of the honeymoon market.

Before the end of 1999, JAL will operate nine charter flights to Saipan, three each in the months of October, November and December from Nagoya.

The next millennium will be greeted by JAL with a total of eight more Nagoya-Saipan charter flights in January, February and March, 2000.

JAL will have eight more charter flights from Fukuoka to Saipan.

“We are doing this as part of our commitment to help the CNMI tourism industry which has been suffering due to the regional crisis,” said Ikuo Katayama, general manager of PMT.

MVA has hired Dentsu 10 in promoting the Northern Marianas using the mascot Saipanda.