By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THE lack of immigration personnel at the airport delayed the entry of more than 200 tourists from Japan in December, according to Rep. Stanley T. Torres.
On Dec. 30, a Japan Airlines charter flight brought in 250 tourists who, Torres said, waited for two hours to clear immigration at airport due to a lack of attending employees.
“An irate concerned citizen who witnessed the arrival of 250 Japanese tourists on JAL charter flights and the simultaneous regular arrivals of Northwest and Asiana Airlines in the early hours of Dec. 30, 2006 said it took the visitors two hours to clear immigration due to lack of personnel — four agents to be exact,” said Torres in his letter to Marianas Visitor Authority Managing Director Perry P. Tenorio on Jan. 10.
Torres, Ind.-Saipan, said “it is appalling to hear of such an incident at a time when the CNMI is praying for the Japanese visitors to come back to the island.”
JAL pulled out of its Saipan route Oct. 2005 resulting in a drastic decline in the number of tourists visiting the CNMI.
Torres said MVA is in the forefront of coordinating these arrivals and the tourists’ “experience here starts as soon as the airplane touches down on the NMI runway, not to mention another immigration departure check and the stinging (Transportation Security Administration) baggage screening.”
He inquired if MVA has anyone assigned to coordinate and notify immigration and customs to prepare for such a high volume of arrivals within a short period of time.
“Regardless of where our visitors come from, we want them to feel welcome and not only do we want them to come back but to also spread the word about what a great destination the CNMI is! Our visitors expect and deserve more preparedness and better planning from MVA,” Torres said.
Tenorio, in response to the letter, said aside from the JAL charter flight there were an additional seven scheduled flights on the morning of Dec. 30.
“It is our belief that the relevant agencies were given ample notice, approximately 60 days, to prepare for the impending large volume of arrivals,” Tenorio said, adding that the immigration division was included in the communication as well as other relevant agencies.
Tenorio said the issue was discussed in detail by the MVA board’s Japan-Ad Hoc Committee in its meeting on Jan. 10.
It was agreed, he added, that MVA would supplement the charter notices as provided by the carriers by issuing a similar advisory to customs and immigration as well as the Transportation Security Administration.
Tenorio said it is their hope that “through such redundancies, they can avoid similar delays.”