Asiana Osaka-Saipan flight brings familiarization tour

Christmas came early this year for the travel industry of the Northern Mariana Islands in the form of a 13-member familiarization tour group delivered—not by Santa Claus but—by Asiana Airlines on Monday, Dec. 20.

The group—comprising 10 travel agents, one travel media representative, one Asiana Airlines rep, and one Marianas Visitors Authority-Korea escort—arrived aboard one of the first charter flights of Asiana Airlines between Osaka, Japan and Saipan.

The primary focus of the trip is the development of new Osaka-Saipan tour products and the further development of honeymoon products. The tour group stayed at the Fiesta Resort & Spa and also inspected facilities at Hyatt Regency Saipan, Aqua Resort Club, Palms Resort Saipan, Saipan World Resort, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, and Marianas Resort. The group wet their feet with a bottom fishing cruise, spent Tuesday (Dec. 23) morning enjoying the sand and surf at Managaha Island, explored shopping opportunities at DFS Galleria, took a tour of Saipan’s northern historic and scenic sites, enjoyed dinner and entertainment at the Sandcastle Las Vegas-style cocktail show, and relaxed with an evening of karaoke.

“This familiarization tour is especially important to support the thrice weekly flights between Osaka and Saipan that Asiana started last Saturday and that are slated to run through March 2009,” said Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio. “We must continue to work with our industry partners, as well as our residents and local government, to make sure we offer a competitive and compelling destination to entice travelers.”

The tour was supported by several MVA member donations: airfare by Asiana Airlines; ground transportation, Mañagaha Island trip, bottom-fishing cruise and karaoke entertainment by Korea Tour Association of Saipan; welcoming dinner, accommodations, and meals by Fiesta Resort & Spa; lunch by Aqua Resort Club, Palms Resort Saipan, Mariana Resort & Spa; shopping discounts by DFS Galleria; water park passes and dinner by Pacific Islands Club Saipan; and cocktail show by SandCastle Saipan.

The travel agencies represented on the familiarization tour are OK Tour, Segye Tour, Lotte Tour, Naeil Tour, Kaya Tour, Sejoong Tourmall, Tour Baksa, Hyundai Dream Tour, Mode Tour, and Hana Tour. The participating travel media is Travel Post. The tour group was scheduled to depart last night, Dec. 24, at 7pm. [B][I](MVA)[/I][/B]