Money to expand tourism market

The Issue: The need for $250,000 to expand the LIIDS system to enable NMI to capitalize on new tourism market.

Our View: Money must be earmarked for this purpose ASAP so that we can begin the process of diversifying our tourism market.

Secretary of Labor and Immigration Mark Zachares has proactively sought definitive ways to diversify the local tourism market out of Asia. He said that as soon as the NMI can earmark $250,000 for an expanded or new LIIDS system, we can begin the process of luring tourists out of the Republic of China.

Of course, any move that involves a process takes time before we can really begin realizing the fruits of our labor. In this instance, the NMI can’t sit pretty and perpetuate the airplane mentality-appearance of an airplane in the blue skies of paradise-where it unloads tons of freebies for one and all.

Time and circumstance dictate that we must proactively seek for all our needs. To capitalize on the 100-million tourism market out of China will take time to realize, thus the need to begin looking into the local purse to defray the cost of a new LIIDS system.

We need not beg the issue of why we must proactively seek for a meager amount that would eventually translate into the revival of the tourism market here.

In fact, the lessons of putting all our eggs in a single basket ought to remind us of the disastrous effects such decision has placed on local economic activities. The domino effects of Japan’s economic doldrums has forced the closure of more than 2,000 tourist related businesses here in the last three years. And we must not allow for a repeat of history.

It is also very comforting to know that Representative Karl Reyes, head of the house appropriations committee is willing to accommodate such need, if the lower chamber could muster the 14 members needed to approve the FY 2000 budget.

Otherwise, we would have placed the planned tourism market expansion on the shelf once more to our detriment. The alternative is to seek for the same amount from the Marianas Visitors Authority until such time that a budget is approved covering such need.

There’s a lot to gain and it is imperative that we rally behind the efforts of the secretary of labor and immigration in finding the requisite for the new system. It should eventually allow for a new lucrative tourism market. Imagine the NMI securing at least one percent of the 100 million up and coming middle class from China ready to explore the global village. It means more revenues for the NMI if we can accelerate approval of the $250,000 money for a new LIIDS system. Si Yuus Maase`!