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MVA urges community to report vandals
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Posted on Jun 06 2006
The Marianas Visitors Authority frequently monitors the top visited tourist sites on the islands, knowing the importance of safety in the CNMI. MVA said it does this not only to ensure that the sites are well maintained but also to make certain that there are no potential safety threats.
Although MVA retains a private security firm to monitor some of the most visited tourist sites, it still needs the help of the community to assure that these sites are not vandalized. MVA encourages anyone with information about vandalism or crimes against tourist sites to report it to the authorities.
“It is important to make sure our tourist sites are well maintained and safe for our visitors and locals as well. It is equally important to assure the memorial monuments are not vandalized or defaced. The monuments are sacred and are visited by hundreds of visitors that come to the CNMI,” said MVA acting managing director Tess Castro. “People travel from their respective countries to the CNMI to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during World War II and to pray for world peace. While they are on island, they infuse money into the local economy.”
Some 150 Okinawans recently visited the Okinawa Peace Memorial at the Last Command Post to conduct their annual peace memorial.
“It is MVA’s top priority to continue to emphasize the importance of tourism in the CNMI. We invite and encourage the local community to extend the natural and warm ‘hafa adai spirit’ when you meet visitors in the CNMI. At MVA we want to make tourism everyone’s business,” the agency said in a statement. (PR)
