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Travel advisory: Saipan dangerous
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Posted on Sep 22 2000
The Issue: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has listed Saipan as an ‘unsafe’ destination.
Our View: This advisory could translate into far less tourists from Japan for the CNMI.
Recently, we’ve clamored with airlines for more direct air services from lucrative Japanese cities. We’ve fueled promotion of these isles throughout Japan despite the tourism industry taking a nose dive since the onset of the Asian crisis four years ago.
The listing of these isles as “unsafe” in travel advisory issued this week by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs further exacerbates an ailing industry once touted as the leading income earner for the CNMI. In recent years, the tourism industry took second fiddle and with an advisory that basically dubs these isles as dangerous, it is likely that recovery would be a long and arduous journey.
It is obvious that we have conveniently looked the other way in keeping these isles safe for our visitors. Rampant reports of robbery of personal belongings in remote tourist sites, purse snatching around the Garapan area, drug smuggling–its sale and use–the murder of a tourist in her hotel room, have finally been taken to critical review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Funneling more money into promotions of these isles would be counterproductive. That money is best spent resolving rampant criminal activities often committed against Japanese tourists. Until this issue is resolved with finality, there isn’t much up the alley of reviving a once thriving economic sector.
If we really want to secure our share of visitors from the Land of the Rising Sun, we must rid ourselves of conventional paradigms so to institute stronger law enforcement efforts, revitalization of the Garapan area, among others, in order to put rampant criminal activities into a closed chapter in the tourism industry.
Unless leadership converges to resolve this awfully damaging image, tourism will continue heading south, if not, history or kiss it sayonara altogether. It’s all up to us to roll up our sleeves and get to work immediately. Si Yuus Maase`!
