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Tourist arrivals climb 9 percent in July
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Posted on Aug 21 2000
Visitor arrivals jumped 9.33 percent for the month of July 2000, or a total of 47,679, compared to the same month of the previous year, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority.
However, arrivals from Japan dropped six percent due to lesser charter flights in July compared to a total four charter flights from Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka came to the CNMI.
Japan Airlines’ direct flight statistics also indicated a 14 percent decline on the flight from Tokyo to Saipan.
Taiwan topped the list of countries which recorded a strong growth as visitor arrivals soared 440 percent as a result of the successful promotion by Mandarin Airlines.
Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino has signed an agreement with Mandarin Air to extend its Taipei-Tinian charter service to three more months due to the increasing popularity of the package tour in Taiwan. Mandarin Air has been selling a Saipan-Tinian package tour in Taipei.
With Mandarin Air’s twice a week service operating in near capacity, Tinian Dynasty management believes that the Taiwanese market will be big boost to the CNMI’s ailing tourism economy given the right promotion.
Korea, likewise, registered a double digit growth which saw a 67 percent increase and partly due to the surge of visitors during summer vacation which started in mid-July. The CNMI expects to benefit from the projected increase in Korea’s outbound travel this year.
U.S. arrivals posted a 91 percent growth as military ships brought in approximately 1,874 visitors.
Pacific Island Aviation’s Northwest Airlink has resumed its Tinian-Guam direct service to accommodate the growing interest of visitors on the island-municipality. Northwest Air Link is studying the possibility of flying Saipan-Tinian-Guam to accommodate Saipan residents.
In a move to diversify its market, MVA has set aside $3.7 million in advertising for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United States and to a certain extent, the People’s Republic of China for Fiscal Year 2001.
With a proposed $8 million budget for next fiscal year, MVA Board Chair Dave M. Sablan believes that Taiwan should get an increased funding for promotion due to the increase in arrivals of Taiwanese visitors to the CNMI.
