Some 300 tour agents from Japan and their families are expected to fly to Saipan between April and June this year for a first-hand experience of Saipan as part of marketing efforts to rejuvenate the critical and fragile Japanese market in the CNMI, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Torres also said \u201ccosmetic\u201d improvements to infrastructure in Garapan, Saipan\u2019s tourist district, is eyed to address concerns of Japan tour agents and tourist.<\/p>\n
Torres, who met with the Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands yesterday to express his continued support of the Japanese market, said Delta Airlines will be bringing in staff and family and will be accommodated in island hotels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are going to do that that throughout the whole HANMI association to accommodate the Japanese tour agents\u201d and \u201cpromote Saipan on a first-hand experience,\u201d Torres said, \u201cso that when they go back to Japan they know exactly what to sell, how to sell it, and when tourists ask them about their experiences, they can actually relate to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Torres reiterated his call yesterday to diversify the CNMI\u2019s tourism market.<\/p>\n
\u201c30, 30, 30,\u201d Torres said, meaning target tourist market distributions of 30 percent Japanese, 30 percent Chinese, and 30 percent Korean.<\/p>\n
Torres wants to support the \u201chistorical relationship\u201d between Japan and the CNMI and support a \u201chealthier environment\u201d with a diversified tourism market.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect to double [the market for tourism] in the next couple of years. Maybe two or three years,\u201d Torres said. \u201cThere is more than enough businesses for every tourist partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right now, the Japan market is critical and fragile and I wanted to assure HANMI, [the Marianas Visitors Authority], and the new executive director\u201d Chris Concepcion they would \u201cprioritize the Japanese market,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Asked \u201chow\u201d they would sell Saipan to these tour agents, Torres said he personally would be present to assure the government\u2019s commitment. He also said his administration will commit to reprogram money for tourism and marketing efforts in Japan, among others.<\/p>\n
Torres said another issue to address are the concerns of Japanese tourists and Japanese agents, which are exemplified in concerns about poor lighting in Garapan, and a call to establish one-way streets in Garapan to make traffic more accessible, on top of work on sidewalks and other infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some cosmetics that [tour agents] requested. We are moving in making that happen,\u201d Torres said. \u201cI am listening to their needs, both long term and short term goals, and we want to show them [our Japanese partners] their priority. <\/p>\n
HANMI is also concerned, Torres said, about the budget of the Marianas Visitors Authority, particularly how funds from hotel occupancy taxes meant for the tourism body gets reprogrammed to other government agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years, they\u2019ve seen this slashed and used elsewhere,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n
Torres said he assured the association that they would get full support on their priorities whether it is the Japan market or tourist destination areas.<\/p>\n
Torres said they want to explore using those funds accordingly.<\/p>\n
The MVA, as the CNMI\u2019s tourism agency, receives funding from hotel occupancy tax earmarks and other sources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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