“Flights between China and Saipan have been going on for many years. This is a good opportunity for Sichuan Airlines to fly and serve the route,” said Lan through an interpreter.
The visitors were welcomed by officials of Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Perry Tenorio and Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Edward Deleon Guerrero.
Local dancers and sisters Kristin and Kimberly Hofschneider also greeted the visiting Chinese tourists with leis.
Tinian Dynasty Travel is chartering the two flights a week each from Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The maiden flight out of Guangzhou will be launched today.
The passengers who originated from Shanghai Pudong Airport were from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other affluent Chinese cities.
They are going to stay on Saipan until Thursday and some are also visiting Tinian.
“This is very important. There could be more tourists coming from China,” said Tom Liu, general manager of Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino.
Established in 1986, Sichuan used to fly only domestic routes. After its reorganization in 2002, the carrier began serving international areas.
Shanghai and Guangzhou, which Sichuan is developing as a niche market for the CNMI, have a combined population of over 33 million.
Considered as the financial center of China, Shanghai is fast emerging as a global finance and international shipping hub for major companies with offices worldwide.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the third largest city in China and is regarded as the country’s key transport and port hub.
“This is very significant,” said Deleon Guerrero. “As you know tourism is our main industry here. That’s why we’re here to support this.”
Tenorio noted that China is a major potential tourism market that should be taken care of.
Smooth entry
Unlike the infamous 2008 inaugural flight of Shanghai Airlines wherein passengers complained they were subjected to humiliating pat-down body search by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Sichuan’s maiden flight went smoothly.
The passengers and the crew were processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.
As Chinese and Russians are excluded from the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, the visiting Chinese tourists were allowed to enter through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s discretionary parole authority.
Two of the 12 female attendants took time to be processed because CBP had to check their previous travel records, officials said.
Tenorio said the visitors were treated nicely this time.
“They came. They landed. They were treated nicely by CBP,” he told the Variety.
The chairman of the Sichuan Airlines Group said he hopes their entry to Saipan would be good for U.S.-China relations.
“I hope that with this flight, we can build up a better relationship between China and the U.S. And hopefully, more Americans will also visit my city of Chengdu [the capital of Sichuan province],” he told reporters through Liu who acted as interpreter.
Close to 20,000 Chinese tourists have so far visited the CNMI this fiscal year 2011, MVA records showed.
