Japan arrivals down by 15 percent

The Marianas Visitors Authority stressed yesterday the importance of diversifying travel markets, with Japan arrivals posting a double-digit decline last month.

Arrivals from Japan, the Northern Marianas’ primary tourism market, reached only 30,040 visitors in February 2005, a 15-percent drop compared with the same month last year.

MVA attributed the decline to changes in types of aircraft used by airlines servicing the Japan-Saipan route.

Seat capacity from Tokyo alone decreased by 28 percent, MVA said.

Japan Airlines changed its aircraft from 747 to DC-10 on the daily flights from Tokyo to Saipan. Northwest Airlines continues to use a 747 aircraft for its flights from Tokyo but with a different seat configuration from 430 seats to 350 seats.

The number of seats from Nagoya also experienced a reduction of 48 percent, compared with the same month the previous year. The number of daily flights from this region was cut from two flights to one flight, when Continental Airlines terminated direct flights from Nagoya to Saipan in April 2004.

“It is increasingly important that the CNMI continues to diversify its travel markets,” said MVA managing director Vicky Benavente. “Although Japan is our primary travel market, the performance of the secondary travel markets in the Asia region plays a significant factor for the tourism industry of our destination.”

MVA statistics showed that overall arrivals reached 46,356 last month. The 12.2-percent decline from the February 2004 figure occurred even though most other travel markets performed well last month.

Korea posted a 14-percent growth in arrivals, generating 7,328 visitors for the islands. MVA said this increase was a result of 10 additional flights brought in by Asiana Airlines in February. The tourism agency also cited a report from travel agents in Korea that many travelers diverted their plans to the CNMI from Southeast Asia due to the December 2004 tsunami.

The Chinese New Year celebration pushed arrivals from Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong upward.

Visitors from Taiwan totaled 224 last month from only 42 in February 2004, as arrivals from Hong Kong more than doubled—from 139 in February last year to 331 last month.

Arrivals from China registered a 169-percent increase, with China Eastern Airlines operating three extra flights from China to Saipan last month.

The Philippines is the only travel market other than Japan to post a decrease in arrivals. Tourists from the Philippines numbered only 302 last month, a 14-percent drop from February 2004.

The United States market, for its part, registered zero growth or decline with 1,743 visitors.