John Gonzales
U.S. delegate candidate John Oliver Delos Reyes Bolis Gonzales favors the reinstatement of Annex VI.
The business community has been urging Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and the Commonwealth Ports Authority to apply for the reinstatement of the Annex VI provision of the U.S.-China Air Transport Agreement of July 9, 2007, which exempts the CNMI from the flight frequency limitations between the U.S. and China.
U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan and Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero have made a similar request to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Our volatile economy, largely driven by tourism, has been in crisis mode since the global pandemic,” Gonzales said. “The solution to our current economic crisis? We need tourists to visit our islands to stimulate direly needed business activity and Annex VI provides the CNMI the … opportunity, right now, to attract more tourists from China, to gradually fill the void left by the prolonged absence of Japanese tourists and dwindling South Korean tourists, our two largest source markets since ever since,” he added.
“The CNMI is the only jurisdiction exempted from flight frequency limitations between China and the U.S. Therefore, it is most prudent to leverage this strategic economic tool to facilitate our economic recovery,” he said.
Gonzales said he is placing his full faith in the ability of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “to meticulously and competently vet Chinese nationals traveling to the CNMI” through the Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program or EVS-TAP, which will take effect in October.
EVS-TAP will allow pre-screened Chinese nationals to travel to the CNMI visa-free for up to 14 days. They must fill out an electronic version of Form I-736 under EVS-TAP and submit it online to Customs and Border Protection at least five days in advance of their arrival to the CNMI.
According to the Hotel Association of the NMI, the average occupancy rate among its 13 member hotels in April 2024 was 35%. Hotels typically require around 70-80% hotel occupancy to stay in operation, HANMI said.
Citing “challenges” faced by the local tourism industry, Hyatt Regency Saipan will shut down on June 30, 2024.
Recently, Asiana Airlines said it will close its Saipan office effective June 30, 2024. HANMI said the loss of “another long-term investor with over 30 years of partnership with the Marianas — immediately translates to a loss of revenue and jobs.”
