“We’ve already seen detailed, substantial results from the year-long project in the form of thousands of exit tourist surveys,” explained MVA marketing manager Bruce A. Bateman.
The surveys conducted in several target-market languages assessed a variety of attitudes and data on visitor arrivals and departures for MVA’s decision-making going forward.
“In the past MVA had no hard verifiable data on which to base decisions, now it does and we can be much more confident in targeting and refining our marketing programs,” continued Bateman on the value of the surveys.
Additionally, the plan —funded by the Interior Department and expected by MVA’s Board within 30 days — will incorporate branding and marketing sections as well as a detailed implementation program for the plan’s suggestions.
Bateman remarked that the plan will “radically improve their capabilities” and provide the necessary road map to compete successfully for tourists within the Asia-Pacific region.
At present, the NMI spends just one-third of Guam’s and one-tenth of Hawaii’s tourism marketing budget — a serious disadvantage in a sour global economy.
On the subject of budgets, Bateman also stated that the recently approved $15 tourist tax program would require ten to twelve months before generating revenue for MVA.
“The tour operators need time to refine their marketing brochures and other materials to reflect the price increase…the most optimistic timeline for implementation is Oct. 2012.”
In the meantime, MVA must scrape by with a vastly reduced operating and marketing budget and hope the impending tourism master plan incorporates ideas they can afford to implement.
“New branding campaigns are very expensive to launch…obviously, that may be one of MVA’s biggest challenges in the coming 12 months,” commented Bateman.
Considering the NMI economy counts tourism as its most important revenue generator, the MVA must be even more inventive and savvy with its underfunded 2012 operating budget.
