Asunton Coñgresso

Fitial bats for tourism industry

To encourage revival of the NMI’s ailing tourism industry, Speaker Benigno R. Fitial has sent a letter to the US Departments of Transportation and State urging support of Japan’s proposal to expand service from Haneda airport. It would mean an additional direct flight from Japan that would boost direct delivery of visitors to the islands.

Fitial related that the NMI “depends heavily on its tourist industry, traditionally the largest sector of our economy, but since the Asian economic flu in 1997, tourism has declined.” He noted that because Guam is so close to the NMI, a tourist destination south of the islands, “we have been particularly affected by the reduction of direct scheduled US carrier flights from Japan, our largest tourist market”.
He noted that today, except for Northwest Airlines, no other US carriers operate direct scheduled flights. This is particularly “critical to regaining market share since otherwise tourists must change planes on Guam, an inconvenience that discourage many”, he said.

“In light of the loss of scheduled direct service from Japan to Saipan, possible direct chartered service between Haneda and Saipan resulting from the Japanese proposal would help the NMI regain lost market share”, the Speaker explained.

He noted of his recent meeting with Mr. Tokuo Yamashita, a member of the House of Representatives of Japan, and chairman of the Aviation and Transportation committee to discuss expanding service from Haneda airport. He said “we enthusiastically support the Japan Transportation Ministry’s proposal to permit new direct charter service between Japan and Saipan…a very positive step toward future opportunities for US carriers in this market”.

Support for Mandarin Airlines

The Speaker also took the opportunity conveying to the two federal agencies the House of Representatives’ support for the expansion of direct scheduled air carrier service by qualified foreign carriers to he islands.

This time, it pertains to application by Mandarin Airlines to provide direct air services from Taiwan to Saipan. The airline has begun a twice weekly charter flights Saipan.

Said he: “New international direct service between Taiwan and Saipan would undoubtedly stimulate visits to the Commonwealth by more Taiwanese tourists. The Mandarin proposal would also be a very positive step toward future additional business investments in the Commonwealth by Taiwanese companies”.

Fitial said that opportunities abound for more lasting investments when both the direct charter flights out of Haneda and Taiwan is approved by the US Department Transportation. “It should encourage more visitors to try a different experience by going to both Tinian and Rota in a packaged deal to visiting the NMI”.

Said he: “Positive consideration should enable to ailing tourism industry here to begin realizing some breathing room in our collective efforts to revive the traditional economic sector”.