Multi-island travel package eyed for NMI

Talk of what sets the Northern Marianas apart from other destinations like Guam: To make it more attractive to tourists, why not offer Saipan as a destination alongside Tinian and Rota?

“Offer tourists a multi-island package. Include Tinian and Rota in the Saipan travel package. This is something unique. Guam doesn’t have it,” said Kanae Quin, chair of the Japan market ad-hoc committee during Thursday’s Marianas Visitors Authority general membership meeting at Hyatt Regency Saipan.

She said the CNMI continues to suffer from a lack of destination recognition. She noted that most Japanese tourists know of Saipan but not much of Tinian and Rota, and have difficulty differentiating these islands from Guam.

Besides, Guam and CNMI travel packages are usually sold by the same travel agents.

In his presentation, Andy Tidwell, chair of the destination branding ad-hoc committee, said it is challenging to come up with a brand since it has to capture three distinct islands: Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. “How do we brand three distinctively different islands under one brand identity?” asked Tidwell.

Another factor would be the changes that would take place on the islands.

“What we have to offer today will be different than what we have to offer in five years,” said Tidwell. “How do we build a brand that is reflective of where we are today but allows us to enhance the brand as the destination is enhanced?”

He said that in the past, the Marianas Visitors Authority tried to come up with brands but these did not prove too successful.

These include “Saipan’s Got Me,” “Tinian’s Lure,” “Rota Wants You,” and “America’s New Frontier”—“none of which were very, very successful,” he said.

Based on some research and brainstorming among committee members, the ad-hoc committee recommends the use of the words “PLAY”, “ENJOY” and “RELAX” when promoting the Northern Marianas overseas.

“With each of these words, we will showcase images to include Saipan, Tinian and Rota,” he said.

The goal he said is “to show off what we have now on Saipan, Tinian and Rota” and “to make the brand simple and allow it to grow as the islands tourist economy grows.”

The committee said this has to be advertised on proper media channels to allow for brand recognition and name recognition.

“It takes repetition to effectively market a brand,” he said.

He cited the following samples:

– Hawaii, The islands of Aloha

– Malaysia, Truly Asia

– Las Vegas, What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

– San Francisco, ONLY in San Francisco

-Singapore, Uniquely Singapore