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MVA backs tie-up with Guam anew
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Posted on Jul 01 2005
The Marianas Visitors Authority has called anew for joint marketing and promotions with Guam.
As guest speaker in a recent economic gathering in Guam, MVA board chair David Sablan said MVA and Guam Visitors Bureau should get together to discuss the possibility of doing joint promotions in their common markets such as Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
“For years, MVA and GVB have been trying to find ways to come up with a workable solution wherein visitors to Guam may also spend a couple of days in Saipan. I believe we have the ingredient to make this work effectively,” said Sablan.
He recommended that both tourism agencies work with partners in the markets and offer incentives to tourists visiting both the Northern Marianas and Guam.
He also suggested that MVA and GVB develop a travel package that includes both destinations. “We will need the help of Continental Micronesia in this particular case to work with us as they are the only carrier we can work with without violating cabotage rules,” he said.
Cabotage is the exclusive right of a country to operate the air traffic within its territory.
In his presentation at the Guam meeting, Sablan also briefed officials of the southern island on the history and current situation of the CNMI tourism industry.
Sablan described the development of the China and Russian markets as a “remedial hope” for the CNMI, which is currently seeing the impact of the downsizing of the apparel industry.
He cited the CNMI’s “approved destination status” from the Chinese government, which allowed islands to actively promote and advertise the destination in China.
He added that the Northern Marianas was also asking its partners in Shanghai to help MVA develop the Russian market. Century Tours has started bringing in Russian tourists via China Eastern Airlines, which started direct flights between Moscow and Shanghai on May 11.
The airline operates twice-weekly flights between Shanghai and Saipan.
