$2-M for tourism plan backed

The Legislature has agreed to support the Governor’s initiative to bring in an additional 100,000 Japanese tourists to the CNMI by ensuring the passage of legislation that would appropriate over $2 million that would fund the additional promotional activities needed.

Senate President Paul A. Manglona assured that both the House of Representatives and the Senate would support the passage of appropriation that would set aside money to fund the additional advertising and promotional activities of the project.

“Of course, our support will be translated into dollars because they would need more money for advertising and promotion, especially in the Tokyo and Osaka areas, which are our strongest base. We would support legislation that would provide this additional funding,” he said.

Manglona said he and House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider had already promised this legislative support during one of the meetings held by the Governor’s Tourism Strategic Planning Committee, which they had attended.

“Tourism is our No. 1 industry and we need to rebound from this declining trend. I think this is a great plan of the Governor and could help us a lot in arresting this decline in tourist arrivals,” he said.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta echoed this, citing previous statements made by the Speaker, whom he described as very supportive of the Commonwealth’s tourism industry, as well as other members of the Legislature.

“So, I don’t foresee any great obstacles in the Legislature on that [the passage of $2 million allocation],” Babauta said.

The Governor’s Committee had projected the total cost of bringing in an additional 100,000 Japanese visitors at more than $2 million.

This comes at a time when the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Tourism, Doug Baker, together with other members of the department, are set to visit the CNMI for two days after a trade mission to Japan.

Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio had disclosed that the trade mission intends to sign a Memorandum Of Agreement with the Japanese government on tourism in behalf of Hawaii, Micronesia, Guam and the CNMI.

Babauta said he has spoken to the Resident Representative on the matter and “we’re very pleased that this delegation is coming.”

“It has been a long time since my urgings for tourist and trade representatives of the federal government to recognize and make the CNMI part of their trade mission,” he added.

Babauta said the trade delegation has invited the Commonwealth to attend the signing of the agreement on tourism between Japan and the United States on Saturday. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend that but I have designated the Resident Representative to represent me at that signing.”

He said he will meet with the delegation when they swing by the Commonwealth this weekend, “during which I will urge them to continue to make the CNMI a part of their tourism trade mission.

Babauta added that he would like to continue this manner of promoting tourism here in the CNMI through the auspices of the U.S. Department of Commerce.