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‘CNMI can tap 12 million Japanese retirees’
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Posted on Dec 03 2005
An airline industry executive called on local tourism players to focus their marketing efforts to retirees abroad, especially in Japan.
Northwest Airlines Japan chairman Jun Mokudai said yesterday that the CNMI’s natural beauty and tropical climate are most attractive to senior citizens or retirees.
Mokudai said that as a retiring individual himself, he is thinking now of where to go when he eventually retires.
“Any good place to stay here?” he asked smiling.
He said that millions of Japanese retirees, or those who were born from 1945 to 1950, are looking for a place to visit or spend their retirement years.
“There are 12 million Japanese retiring. We’re all retiring. We always talk about places to retire. You’ll notice that the retirees tend to go to warm places,” said Mokudai in his remarks during the Marianas Visitors Authority general membership meeting Friday at Saipan World Resort.
He said retirees usually find a place where they could stay for three months or six months.
“The question is, are you bringing those senior citizens?” he asked his audience, consisting of business owners and executives.
Modukai said local investors can focus on providing needed facilities for retirees such as condominiums, music halls, and sports centers.
He said Japanese retirees also love to walk, which makes the CNMI an ideal place for them to visit.
These things, he said, should be mentioned when the CNMI markets the islands in Japan.
Discussions to develop the CNMI into a Silver City have been made years back following reports that one in every five Japanese is 65 years old or older.
To do this, lawmakers had cited the need to build condominium units and medical facilities.
