This, according to gubernatorial candidate Heinz S. Hofschneider, will not cost the government much.
“We need to make the visitors and tourists who come here to feel that we welcome them,” he said.
He said the steadily decreasing figures in the tourist arrivals each month does not spell the end for the tourism industry.
Hofschneider said a research was done in Hawaii regarding its declining tourism industry and it was determined that the state’s “aloha” spirit was gone.
“The CNMI is almost in the same boat. We have lost the ‘hafa adai’ spirit. Here, visitors don’t feel our welcome, and we need to make changes to make them come back,” he said.
“Hafa adai” means “hello” in Chamorro.
Reviving this hafa dai spirit can be done with simple things like connecting sidewalks from one point to another to give tourists easy access, cleaning up the community, repairing dilapidated buildings in the villages, improving the appearances of restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and other establishments so they can keep up with the standards that complement how the commonwealth is being marketed, Hofschneider said.
“We started off as a tourist destination. Tourism is the force behind improvement in the standards of living in the CNMI, hence we need to do the necessary repairs to revive this industry,” Hofschneider said.
He said one of the main reasons why tourists come to the CNMI is to get away from busy cities.
“We don’t have to think of duplicating other destinations. We want to keep the islands green but we should also allow amenities and facilities that cater to tourists,” Hofschneider said.
It is also important that guests are entertained while they’re here, he added.
“We have so many talents in the island. The government can tap into the young people for example to sing local songs and tell stories to the tourists as they wait for departure at the airport. This way, the tourists will leave the islands happy, and will think of coming back,” Hofschneider said.
