MVA’s Tan pushes for enhancement of Rota, Tinian
Marianas Visitors Authority board member Jerry Tan brought up the idea of enhancing Rota and Tinian as unique destinations apart from Saipan in order to improve the economic activity on the two neighboring islands.
During MVA’s regular board meeting last Oct. 27, Tan said he wanted to see what the tourism body is committed to doing for the improvements of Rota and Tinian as a destination.
“I was mentioning the kind of development that we are experiencing on Saipan, and thought it’s time for MVA to also examine the potential and opportunity of Rota and Tinian as tourist destinations,” said Tan. “If we are able to make Rota and Tinian offer a great experience for our tourists, it makes the CNMI a better destination overall, because we can offer three islands instead of one. That would differentiate us from Guam, and bring us closer to destinations such as Hawaii. We have that opportunity, so it makes sense for the CNMI as an overall destination.”
Tan cited the problems that are being experienced here on Saipan—traffic, inadequate infrastructure, power generation, and inadequate hotel room supply—and mentioned that Rota and Tinian could provide possible solutions.
Tan also mentioned that a tour package offer to Chinese and Russian tourists seems sensible since they usually stay for about six to seven days and three to four days, respectively.
Also, by bringing tourists to these islands, they will get to appreciate Rota’s and Tinian’s natural beauty, Tan said.
To tackle the transportation problems, Tan thinks MVA must first invest on Rota and Tinian before airlines could start offering flights to and from the two islands.
MVA board member Vince Calvo agreed with Tan’s push for the development of Rota and Tinian as a tourist destination.
MVA managing director Chris Concepcion said that MVA would be producing a master plan wherein Rota, Tinian, and maybe even the Northern Islands would be included.
Come on you guys, let us really face the fact that Tinian has nothing to offer the tourism industry. It is a sour pill to swallow and a political suicide of what I dare to say. Let the U.S. military have the entire island for their exclusive use and move all the people to Saipan to resettle with all the amenities of a new town at the southeastern side. All expenses paid by the Defense Dept. Think about it?
No way, give up everything that I had work for on Tinian. Yes DOD may use the Northern training area, but leave us alone on the Southern part.
I support the expansion of the tourist industry in the Northern Marianas and oppose the extension of United States military installations in the islands outside of Guam. Tinian, Rota, and Pagan’s natural ecosystems and historical sites need to be preserved. An increased military presence on the islands, as has been seen on Okinawa, will cause pollution, noise disturbance, and prevent access to or destroy traditional agriculture lands, fishing sites, and cultural sites. I believe Tinian, Rota, and Pagan, as beautiful tropical islands that can be reached in a short plane ride from the Asian mainland, will become more popular tourist destinations within the next several decades with appropriate and responsible development projects.
For your information, we had been self sustaining and you are stereotyping in a way, because no one had taken over our livelihood. The truth is DOD would work hand in hand with the local populace for the betterment of the whole. Business? We have not start anything yet and time is on our side.
I agree with you that there has been a general indifference and neglect for preserving Tinian’s cultural and historical sites, as well as utilizing the ancestral lands, but it is still not too late. The locals need principled leaders and intellects who are willing to step up and make Tinian prosper. Tinian will have a military presence on a “limited scale” with the establishment of the divert airfield and support facilities, but turning the island into a base for tactical operations will not support the locals in the long run [Research about the US military presence on Kwajalein and Roi-Namur in the Marshalls]. In regard to sugarcane planting, the operating cost would make it infeasible in this era. That is why Alexander & Baldwin Inc. ended sugar cultivation in Maui this year. China, India, and the entirety of Southeast Asia are on the rise. GDP per capita are rising annually in those regions. International travel will increase with this rise in incomes. Tinian needs to develop a strong and unique image that can be marketed to Asians (particularly the growing middle class)- such as a “honeymoon island” (like Jeju Island, South Korea) and tirelessly work with the right investors, hotel groups, entertainment companies, and airlines in Asia to make it happen.
Hhhhmmmm, retrospecting historical data, current events and figment of the imagination sounds very troubling. Trust me, time is on our side. With the economic down turn, foreigners setting up shop, and the overgrown tangangtangang throughout the CNMI was or is a blessing on disguise. You get properties ten cents on the dollar, what more can you ask for? Look throughout the historical events, few cash in on peoples suffering and misfortune. We had started decades ago on a different approach, not the way you see it or how you perceive things to be done. Cliff, ocean front, ocean view, huge farm lands, the whole view of the bay, historical building. Staying positive and being optimistic in life would get you ahead. Don’t be ashamed to wear a torn t-shirt, old short with flipflops around town. And beware of the power of the Benjamins.
Don’t give up yet chelu on our dearest island of Tinian.
Dreaming which involves the figment of your imagination is even more troubling just by seating back and accomplishing nothing; look back and tell me honestly, what do you see that Tinian so called political leaders had done with all the money poured in as yearly budget over the past decades to advance economic development? Good example, your dilapidated seaport, it has been like that for the last 80 years; your airport facility is in such deplorable state due to poor or no maintenance at all, a double trouble telling behavior of its deplorable past and current political caretakers from Tinian. Your description of a HOBO life camping out in the boonies and catching your daily sustenance fulfills your ultimate utopia. Boy, do I find that statement highly troubling if that is the way you hope for Tinian to REGRESS to the fogun hayo era. I bet you a dime you’ll find yourself camping out in the boonies all alone with a few goats and hermit craps.
Creeeepie, people throughout the world would pay a fortune to experience your so call creepy. And living life backwards is on top of my list and I pay a fortune to accomplish such task.
As for our leaders, no need to worry about them once Uncle Sam set up camp on our back yard and the stream of Benjamins would follow.
Regression may be beneficial at times for one can be appreciative of how hard to make ends meet during our life.
Is that the way you view Tinian people’s lives is to wait on the way side for HANDOUTS? Didn’t know there are so many poor BEGGARS until you so proudly said so; oh, my fault have forgotten your were once their leader who turned a HOBO but was dismissed for manic regressive tendency, short of a cult leader.
Beggars? Who is begging? Uncle Sam would provide the opportunity for individuals to do businesses in Tinian. Imagine the potential benjamins that would generate within the economy of Tinian via the defense spending.
Growing up on Tinian, hunting, fishing, farming was the best thing that had happened for me. Reliving such life style brings back old memories and not a childish act.
The CNMI is my playing ground and where I do things backward. Every now and then, I would like to live my life away from the rat race world and live life to the fullest. Camping in the jungles, beaches and catching my food to eat each day is the ultimate satisfaction for a person or me.
Have you heard of obtaining wealth via the acquisition of real property? Most of the foreigners who set up businesses on Tinian were farm workers at first and they came to the CNMI believing to make it big and making it big they did. It all started with a dream for individuals to become successful in life. Unless you are like someone I know, he was born into a silver spoon and trying to change our livelihood in the CNMI. We had long started decades ago and everything is working out as plan. I am an opportunist and I wait for opportunities to knock on my door and then I work my magic (joke).
According to the China Tourist Academy/China National Tourism Administration, China has the largest number of outbound tourists in the world, with 128 million Chinese traveling abroad. They spent 292.2 billion U.S. dollars overseas in 2015, which accounted for approximately 23.2 percent of all outbound tourist consumption in the world. Tinian and Rota, as Jerry Tan of the MVA suggest, should implement development projects that will turn them into “unique destinations” for Chinese and East Asian tourists. The “answers” for how to turn them into unique destinations can be researched and provided by experienced experts of tourism policy, regional planning, and enterprise development.