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October posts slight increase in arrivals
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Posted on Nov 08 2004
Fiscal year 2005 kicked off with a slim increase in visitor arrivals, with tourist entries posting a growth rate of 3.97 percent in October as compared with the same month last year.
Marianas Visitors Authority statistics showed that the Northern Marianas received a total of 40,042 tourists last month, a slight increase from the 38,512 visitors that arrived in October 2003.
Surpassing all other markets in terms of growth rate is the United States, which recorded 2,089 arrivals—a 113-percent increase compared with October 2003. MVA attributed the growth to the arrival of the U.S. military ship USS Frank Cable, which brought in 1,134 crewmembers last Oct. 1.
Arrivals from the China market also rose by 64 percent, compared with the figure in the same period in 2003. MVA said the increase came as a result of the Chinese Golden Week celebration, which took place in the first week of October.
Japan, which is the Northern Marianas’ prime tourism market, generated a total of 28,586 visitors last month. This is a slight 5-percent increase from the 27,125 Japanese tourists that came in October 2003.
The Korea market showed a decline of 42 percent in comparison with the 2003 figures.
MVA said this was partly caused by the high base figure registered in the same period last year. The tourism agency recalled that in October 2003, Asiana Airlines operated seven extra flights to accommodate bulk arrivals coordinated through incentive programs in Korea.
“Despite the decline, the Korean market still maintained its position as the CNMI’s second largest visitor market,” MVA added.
The Hong Kong and Taipei markets both indicated decrease in their arrivals, dipping by 36 percent and 13 percent respectively.
Yet, MVA expressed optimism that arrivals from Hong Kong and Taipei will pick up, as Continental Airlines begins offering direct flight services from each market to Saipan this month.
