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Japan arrivals make modest climb
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Posted on Apr 19 1999
Visitor arrivals for the month of March registered only a one percent decline or a total of 42,661 compared to the previous period in 1998, according to a preliminary report made by the Marianas Visitors Authority.
Based on the MVA report, Japan registered a three percent drop as Japan Airlines continue to carry out its promotional campaign to bring in more tourists to the Northern Marianas.
Although Japan, the biggest source of tourist, has been in recession since last year, visitor arrivals have drastically improved from a double-digit decline in October last year to a mere three percent drop last month.
Korea, the second biggest market, showed the most encouraging improvement with a 113 percent jump in arrivals. With the expected return of Korean Air this year, Marianas Visitors Authority board chairman Dave M. Sablan said the tourism economy is expected to get an additional boost.
Korean Air president Yang Ho Cho met with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and MVA officials recently and toured various hotel facilities. The airline has been providing service to the CNMI for 14 years until it suspended operations due to the tragic crash on Guam where 230 people were killed.
The CNMI’s ailing tourism economy may show further improvement after the Commonwealth Ports Authority announced that it is seriously considering providing incentives to all airlines in a move to stimulate traffic.
The ports authority may reduce landing fees and passenger facility charge for existing airlines that will increase their seating capacity and carriers that will service new destinations. Northwest Airlines executives recently met with the governor seeking a 50 percent reduction in the passenger facility charge and landing fee.
The lobbying for the grant of incentives has been made by airlines and the Aviation Task Force as Continental Micronesia continue to drop its direct flights to Saipan from various destinations in Asia due to decline in visitor arrivals.
Arrivals from the United States including Guam slipped by 18 percent. Furthermore, arrivals from Hong Kong jumped 40 percent while Taiwan declined 19 percent.
