Tourism: Anything would do for NMI

The increase in cruise and military ships calling the island over the last year may be a new trend in tourism that all sectors must thoroughly review forthwith. Local protocol must be propped-up to welcome the passengers of both cruise and military ships. Each ship usually stays in the Tanapag Commercial Harbor not less than three days.

For the military crew, we’ve seen this group rent mopeds to get around the island exploring what this tiny speck is about. With tennis shoes, short pants and T-shirts, they roam the island under a blistering sun or heavy rain. But nothing dampens their enthusiasm to explore this tiny isle.

Cruise ships usually bring in a group of students with ties to one of our local schools in cultural exchange. The activity revolves around meeting local students where new friendship is established and nurtured among young people. It’s a good program that we must encourage given our historical affinity.

Last weekend, the Shikogakuen Mission, a 300-plus strong group, arrived via the cruise ship “Venus” for their annual observance of friends and families who died here during World War II. Last year, the group came in via the airlines for their annual affair. This group is what we refer to as “repeat” visitors and it behooves all concerns in both public and private sectors to roll-out the carpet to our Shikogakuen Mission friends.

Would tourism make a recovery anytime soon? Yes and No! Yes, there will eventually be some form of recovery in this industry. No, it won’t be the tourism industry “as we know it”. The effects of the crisis rings a familiar tune for many of our friends from the Land of the Rising Sun. For many, it is equated to the hardship imposed upon them during the period of reconstruction after World War II.

What does it all mean for a resource-poor Marianas Archipelago? It means we must begin from basics: Installation of visionary and committed leadership poised at seeing the larger picture that can eventually translate into constructive policies at wealth and jobs creation. The NMI needs leadership truly capable of seeing “beyond the years”. The usual tribal or family style politics would only land our children in greater hardship as to be incapable of meeting the challenges of the next millennium. Friends, the future is now! This inadequacy must be resolved today so we don’t waltz once again with failure to heed past mistakes or the signs of the times.

Down the stretch, the role of leadership no longer can rely on tribal politics. We must exit this juncture in our developmental history and embrace new paradigms that would come our way by globalization and the myriad of challenges in the way the Information Technology has changed “business as usual” to the “unusual”. It means reviewing the future of tourism and other industries that can eventually allow for wealth and jobs creation. Let’s do it right this time around. For now, anything would do to help the NMI muddle through these difficult times. Si Yuus Maase`!