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Agents, climate top incentives for visit
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Posted on Jan 17 2006
Many tourists who come to the islands do so due to the Northern Marianas’ tropical climate, besides being lured by travel agents.
A statistical report recently released by the Marianas Visitors Authority showed that travel agents motivated 7,076 tourists to visit the Commonwealth in December 2005. Another 3,755 tourists declared the climate as reason for traveling to the CNMI.
Additionally, some 3,225 visitors chose the CNMI as a destination due to short travel time. Some 3,505 tourists have had a prior trip to the islands.
The MVA report showed that most of the travelers who came to the islands last month were clerks, numbering 6,016. Some 4,316 tourists belong to the professional group. There were 2,791 tourists holding managerial positions and 1,446 students.
The MVA reported that 38,353 visitors came to the islands last month, 19.79 percent lower than December 2004’s 47,817. The number of Japanese tourists last month only totaled 24,047—29 percent lower than December 2004’s 34,015.
The CNMI played host to 506,846 visitors in 2005—nearly 30,000 tourists less than the 2004 total—even as the pullout of Japan Airlines’ regular flights to Saipan only began during the last quarter last year.
Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Charles Cepeda had urged the CNMI government to support airline companies servicing the islands, as well as tour agents who have been bringing in visitors to the Commonwealth.
