Tourism numbers, an airport initiative and a novel idea

For visitor arrivals in the Marianas Islands there’s no good news yet on tourism recovery. An airport initiative, travel news and a tempting attraction for visitors round out this tourism and travel update.

Non-profit 500 Sails will offer a new opportunity in Saipan.

The Marianas Visitors Authority announced Sept. 16 arrivals to Saipan, Tinian and Rota decreased 10% to 21,613 visitors in August, compared to 24,128 visitors received in August 2023.

August visitors were 55% lower compared to August 2019, when arrivals reached 47,489 visitors. Fiscal year-to-date arrivals are 27% higher than last year, MVA said.

The Northern Mariana Islands saw 16,031 visitors from South Korea in August, 2,319 from China and 800 from Japan. The NMI saw 1,163 visitors for the United States - including two ship arrivals, 852 visitors from Guam, and a combined 448 visitors from all other markets.

The Guam Visitors Bureau posted July visitor arrivals on its website, showing a total of 59,931 visitors for the month, compared to 136,878 in July 2019.

Guam saw 29,845 visitors from Korea in July, 15,160 from Japan, and 360 from Taiwan. The island saw 8,726 arrivals from the U.S./Hawaii for the month, and 1,528 from the NMI.

Guam hotel occupancy taxes totaled $7,499,800 from January to June, compared to $10,365,128.23 in 2019. The Weighted Hotel Room Rate was $198.11 for the same six-month period, compared to $200.99 in 2019.

The Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association has not published average room rates or average occupancies since 2020.

The New NAIA Infra Corp. officially took over management and operation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sept. 14, as well as the task of modernizing the 76-year-old facility, according to a Sept. 14 release from the government’s Philippine News Agency.

NNIC, the consortium that includes San Miguel Corp. RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. NNIC, and Incheon International Airport Corp. “has committed to spend PHP170 billion” to execute its phased plan, the release said.

Plans are to “increase passenger capacity from 43 million to 62 million annually and air traffic movements from 42 to 48 per hour,” the news agency said.

Additionally, within three to six months, NNIC plans “functional escalators and toilets, stable power and water, improved air conditioning, upgraded baggage handling, faster passenger processing, more seating, and enhanced Wi-Fi,” the release said.

Within three years, additional upgrades will include, “runway improvements, increased terminal capacity, improved commercial spaces, better traffic flow, direct link from NAIA Terminal 3 to the Skyway system,” and for the long-term, NAIA is looking at a “new terminal building to accommodate an additional 35 million passengers annually; flood mitigation in surrounding areas; [and] linkage to the Metro Manila Subway.”

The U.S. Transport Administration has set a final date for the REAL ID, which travelers will be able to use to travel interstate by plane.

TSA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register on Sept. 12 that would provide federal agencies with the “necessary flexibility to begin enforcement of the REAL ID regulations” on May 7, 2025.

A comment period runs until Oct. 15. “The proposed rule would also require agencies to coordinate their plans with [the Department of Homeland Security,] make the plans publicly available, and achieve full enforcement by May 5, 2027,” the entry in the register said.

According to the register, other acceptable forms of ID may still be used in place of a REAL ID. Those include a U.S. passport, a permanent resident card or a foreign government issued passport.

All but five states offer their citizens the option of a regular driver’s license.

United Airlines announced Sept. 13 it has signed an agreement with SpaceX to offer free Starlink Wi-Fi with live TV and streaming, social media, shopping, and gaming on flights in 2025, with testing to begin early next year, and increasing to all aircraft “in the next several years.” Starlink will be available on seat back screens and personal devices, United said in a release.

One organization in the Northern Mariana Islands is launching an endeavor for both visitors and residents alike that focuses on culture, as well as offering a chance to appreciate being close to island oceans on a traditional canoe.

NMI’s 500 Sails began offering daily canoe rides from Sept. 16 for two weeks at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., to allow tourists a close look at Saipan’s lagoon and coral reef formations.

Tourists pay $10 for a ride of 20 to 25 minutes; residents can ride for free, upon presentation of a local I.D. Funds go to maintenance of 500 Sails vessels.

Yuko Sharry, program assistant with 500 Sails, told the Journal that the rides may later be offered at more than one location in Saipan. “We’re planning to expand in the future,” she said.
An NMI non-profit, 500 Sails aims to “revive, promote, and preserve the maritime cultural traditions of the Mariana Islands through community engagement in canoe culture and activities.”

For more about the organization, see 500sails.org mbj