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MVA: No plans to hire Chinese-speaking worker
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Posted on Jan 14 2005
The Marianas Visitors Authority has no plans to hire a Chinese-speaking employee to assist and answer phone inquiries from Chinese tourists who are expected to flood the islands after the CNMI’s signing of the Approved Destination Status memorandum with the Chinese government.
MVA managing director Vicky Benavente said she did not recommend hiring one for now, as the China market is new and yet to be fully developed.
Benavente noted that only two travel agencies are currently processing entry permits for Chinese visitors: Century Tours and Saipan Travel. Also, MVA’s budget for China will not be increased despite the designation by the Chinese government.
“I don’t think we need to increase personnel because we’re just starting with this market. We have great contacts with hotels and travel agencies, and they should be able to help us accommodate inquiries,” Benavente told the MVA board of directors Thursday.
For their part, board members suggested that management review MVA’s contract with Ruder Finn Asia, which represents the CNMI in China, and see if the contractor’s scope of work includes visitor assistance.
MVA chair David Sablan also proposed that management consider a possible tie-up with Northern Marianas College under which Mandarin-speaking students get on-the-job training at MVA while helping the tourism agency serve Chinese visitors.
MVA expects tourist arrivals from China to reach 55,000 this fiscal year, an increase of 88 percent over FY 2004.
Arrivals from Hong Kong are also projected to grow by 140 percent or 2,799 visitors, and from Taiwan by 867 percent or 4,309 visitors.
The China National Tourism Administration granted Authorized Destination Status to the CNMI on Dec. 30, 2004. With the granting of ADS, authorized travel agencies will be able to organize group tours to the CNMI and advertise the destination in China.
