MVA protests stringent entry rules for Russians
The Marianas Visitors Authority will protest the restriction imposed by the Department of Labor and Immigration on the entry of Russian tourists on the island, said board chairman Dave M. Sablan.
Sablan was referring to a memorandum issued by DOLI to all airlines informing them that Russian passport holders must present an authorization to board from the Labor and Immigration Secretary Mark Zachares.
Earlier, Sablan has proposed to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio a set of guidelines to be followed by the CNMI government in allowing the entry of tourist from mainland China after Zachares suspended indefinitely the issuance of entry permits to citizens of the People’s Republic of China.
Hotel operators who regularly receive Russian visitors have criticized the DOLI regulation because it is almost equivalent to a visa requirement. MVA was not even aware of the DOLI regulation until the Russian tour operators informed them about it. Russian tourist usually take tour packages that include a visit to Seoul and the CNMI.
Based on the new requirement, Russians who want to come to Saipan should contact a travel agent here who would give their names to the immigration office. After checking the background of the Russians, the immigration officers will then provide the letter of authorization to board the airline.
Although the number of visitor arrivals from Russia is not really big, tourism officials are still eyeing to develop the market because Russians stay from an average of 11 to 14 days in the CNMI. In fact, some hotels have already hired Russian speaking employees.
The defunct Marianas Visitors Bureau held two trade shows in Moscow and Vladivostok last year. It has also sponsored three seminars for Russian tour operators who are doing business on the island.
Oleg Chenttsov, a Russian tour operator, said the he expects the Russian market to increase by an average of 60 tourist a month. Russians usually travel to the CNMI during the Christmas holidays to escape the harsh winter season.
Last year, some 110 Russians stayed at the Pacific Islands Club for the New Year celebration. Chenttsov said he expects more Russian tourist to come from Moscow and Siberia next year.
