MVA cautious in China foray

The Marianas Visitors Authority has agreed to proceed cautiously in tapping the huge tourism market in mainland China to make sure that it does not create any problem to the CNMI’s immigration laws.

“We are studying how we can tap that market without causing any problem in the future that’s why there are regulations that have to be put in place first,” said Dave M. Sablan, board chairman.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio joined the meeting with Department of Labor and Immigration Secretary Mark Zachares, MVA managing director Perry Tenorio, board members Marian Aldan-Pierce, Roberta Guerrero, and Ron Sablan.

During the meeting, MVA recognized the need to draw up the guidelines that would help the tourism officials in handling the Chinese market. Sablan said he has asked Zachares to facilitate the establishment of these mechanisms so that MVA can do its work. In the meantime, MVA will not do anything until DOLI has come up with the needed guidelines, he added.

In a move to develop an alternative market for the half-a-billion-dollar tourism industry, MVA has been eyeing the Chinese market but labor and immigration officials are wary of the plan.

Even the financially-troubled Tinian Dynasty & Casino is hoping that the CNMI government would open its door on the Chinese market as tourist arrivals have continuously declined brought about by Asia’s economic woes.

China is host to some 100 million middle-class that can afford to travel and the number is expected to climb with the rapid economic growth there. However, the CNMI is not included in the list of authorized destinations for Chinese nationals.

Sablan had earlier wanted to visit mainland China to convince officials there to include the Northern Marianas in the list of destinations which the Chinese nationals can visit.

Washington has been pushing to strip the Northern Marianas of its immigration and wage-setting powers, accusing the island government of failing to control the influx of workers, address labor woes and raise minimum wage — long standing problems that have strained CNMI-U.S. ties.

DOLI had suspended indefinitely the issuance of entry permits to citizens of the People’s Republic of China due to the refusal of Chinese officials to cooperate in accepting the return of its nationals deported from the commonwealth.