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MVA needs funds for tour site development
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Posted on Sep 01 2004
The Marianas Visitors Authority has allocated $200,000 from its own budget, but it needs a lot more to fund the renovation of tourist sites on the islands, MVA chair David Sablan said.
According to Sablan, MVA is now preparing a damage assessment on various CNMI tourist destinations, based on a site inspection conducted on Tuesday.
Gov. Juan N. Babauta led a group of government officials in visiting popular tourist sites such as the Old Japanese Jail and Sugar King monument in Garapan, and Last Command Post, Banzai Cliff, Suicide Cliff, Bird Island, and the Grotto in Marpi.
Those who joined the governor in the tour were Rep. Martin Ada, chair of the House Committee on Commerce and Tourism; MVA board members; and representatives from the Division of Parks and Recreation. A similar tour is being scheduled for the southern part of Saipan, as well as Tinian and Rota.
“We want tourists to enjoy visiting these places, and to do that, we have to make the sites safe,” Sablan said. He, however, noted that a lot of tour sites sustained damage from the recent typhoon, not to mention the continued bad weather on the islands.
The railings around the Bird Island lookout, for instance, need to be replaced, Sablan said.
Clearly stated warnings needs to be installed in conspicuous areas in the tour sites, while toilet facilities and trash receptacles have to be refurbished
“It’s pretty dirty at the tour sites right now. There’s trash all over the place,” he said.
MVA hopes to get funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct the construction work needed at the tourist sites.
Sablan said the agency has now allocated $200,000 from its budget for tourist site development, but it needs more to cover the 25 percent matching fund that is required from local agencies for any FEMA-funded projects.
“The governor is very supportive of this move. He was very concerned and saw it necessary to conduct the inspection,” Sablan said.
