The decline in arrivals is also the reason why Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Congressman Gregorio C. Sablan are fighting for continued access to the Russian and Chinese tourism markets, Reyes added.
MVA is expecting a continuous decline in tourist arrivals until next year, its Managing Director Perry Tenorio said.
According to the Department of Commerce, visitor arrivals for the second quarter of this year were down to 73,764 from 107,434 earlier this year.
Tenorio said the possible re-emergence of the H1N1 virus, rising fuel surcharges for flights to the CNMI and foreign exchange differentials which make the U.S dollar more expensive than the Japanese yen or Korean won will further reduce arrivals.
He said Guam and Hawaii are major competitors that have more options to offer than the CNMI — more choices of attractions, optional tours and facilities for visitors.
But he said the CNMI is promoted differently from these two destinations.
“We are a tropical destination with an unspoiled natural environment offering incredible natural beauty, among the world’s best diving spots, spectacularly beautiful golf courses, and a unique natural beauty which is quite different from Guam or Hawaii,” he said.
MVA, he added, engages in a variety of promotional programs to promote the CNMI, including working with key travel agents and airlines in Japan, Korea, and China to educate and encourage them to produce and sell tour packages to the commonwealth.
Tenorio said they are working with HANMI in addressing tourism issues by organizing events together, doing promotional activities and organizing international media coverage to feature the islands.
Recently, HANMI reported that the hotel occupancy rate for the second quarter of this year was down to 12.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
Tenorio said MVA is trying to help HANMI by getting its members involved in the tourism agency’s activities.
The collective participation of the citizens in the community to promote tourism is very important, he added.
