Decline in Japanese arrivals concerns MVA

Arrivals from Japan continue to suffer from decreased airline seating capacity, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority.

MVA data showed that the Northern Marianas received only 32,987 Japanese tourists last month, a 1-percent drop from the same month last year. This was the fourth month since the start of the fiscal year that Japan arrivals registered a decline.

“We are concerned with the continued decline on our Japan market, which is our primary source of visitors to the CNMI,” said MVA managing director Vicky Benavente. “We are working closely with our travel partners both in Japan and the CNMI as well as the public sector to restore positive growth in visitor arrivals from this market.”

From 492,373 in 2004, the airline seating capacity from Japan to the CNMI dropped to 403,650, or by 18 percent in 2005. The termination of Continental Airlines’ Nagoya-Saipan flights, as well as the aircraft downsizing by other carriers, caused the decline.

Statistics also showed that arrivals from China decreased by 30 percent due to the suspension of flights from March 5-19. Only 1,119 visitors were recorded to have arrived in the islands last month.

The Philippine market also registered a significant decline, generating only 255 visitors to the CNMI. This was a 50 percent fall from 509 visitors in March 2004.

The rest of the CNMI’s markets showed an upward trend in visitor arrivals.

Topping the list was Korea, the Northern Marianas’ second biggest tourism market. Arrivals from Korea reached 4,641 visitors, a double-digit growth of 10 percent for March 2005 compared to March 2004.

“This upward trend is a direct result of the increased in-load factor from the direct flights brought in by Asiana Airlines. According to reports from the MVA Korea office, outbound travel from Korea continues to be strong since January 2005 and is expected to register a record breaking figure in outbound travel in 2005,” MVA said.

The CNMI continues to benefit from flights being operated by Continental Airlines from Taiwan and Hong Kong, which posted 656 percent and 66 percent growth in arrivals respectively.

Guam recorded 2,020 visitor arrivals in March, an increase of 28 percent compared to March 2004. Sixteen percent of the total arrivals from this market visited Rota, and the remaining visited Saipan.

Based on the visitor profile report, over half of our visitors from Guam were on business trips to the CNMI.