The photo of plumerias submitted by Mary Haze won 1st place in the Saipan category of the Marianas Visitors Authority’s “Capture the Beauty of the Marianas” online photo contest held in May 2023. MVA has announced a photo contest and a series of other events to celebrate Marianas Tourism Month in May 2024.
(MVA) — In observance of Marianas Tourism Month, the Marianas Visitors Authority has organized a series of community events in May 2024 to celebrate and support the primary economic driver of the Marianas.
“Marianas Tourism Month is our opportunity as a community to celebrate the primary economic driver of our Commonwealth — tourism,” said MVA Managing Director Christopher A. Concepcion. “Tourism provides for private and public sectors jobs, generates revenue for businesses and government, and gives us an opportunity to share with the world what makes the Marianas a great place to live, to work, and to visit. We invite everyone to find your own way to celebrate Tourism Month and to join MVA in working throughout the year toward making the Marianas a preferred travel destination.”
A proclamation signing ceremony declaring May as Tourism Month was held Tuesday, April 30. at 1 p.m. at the Office of the Governor. Saipan Southern High School MY WAVE Club joined industry leaders at the event to assist with the ceremony.
The 25th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival will be held on May 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2024, at American Memorial Park, Garapan, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (until 11 p.m. on the final night), featuring affordable dishes from local hotels and restaurants, live entertainment, food eating competitions, cooking contests, arts and crafts sales, and more. Entry is free.
MVA will hold a Facebook and Instagram photo contest, “Capture the Beauty of the Marianas,” awarding cash prizes for the winners: $300 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place. Participants must post their favorite photo of Saipan, Tinian, or Rota between May1 and 27, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ChST and use the hashtags #MyMarianas, #TheMarianas, #CapturetheBeautyofTheMarianas2024, and #VistTheMarianas. Photos must feature Marianas’ attractions, such as historical or cultural sites, beaches, or others. Winners will be announced on May 31, 2024, via the MVA Facebook page @VistTheMarianas.
MVA will host its annual Youth Familiarization Tour field trip in Tinian for 3rd graders. As “Tourists for a Day,” students will learn about the significance of historic Tinian sites and the importance of site preservation.
Island beautification also remains a priority for Marianas Tourism Month. The public is invited to join the annual Tourism Month Industry Cleanup and painting on May 18 in downtown Garapan. Interested volunteers are invited to meet at Paseo de Marianas at 7:30 a.m. or organize individual cleanups around the islands. On Rota, student volunteers of the National Honor Society will clean and paint at the historic Rota Sugar Mill Train site on May 11, and beach cleanups will be held by school Student Council and MY WAVE Club volunteers from Guata Beach to Rota’s award-winning Teteto Beach on May 18. Cleanup efforts in Tinian will focus on clearing and extending the reopened historic Ginzoa Trail and enhancing the historic Kastiyu Caves site.
Through the month the public will have the chance to win a limited Tourism Month t-shirts and gift cards throughout the month by correctly answering tourism-related trivia questions on radio stations Power 99 (97.5 FM), KZMI (103.9 FM) and Magic 100 (100.3 FM).
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/VisitTheMarianas or www.mymarianas.com/The-Marianas-Calendar or for Saipan events contact MVA Community Projects Specialist Jack Aranda at (670) 664-3200/1 or communityprojects@mymarianas.com, for Tinian events contact MVA Tinian Field Operations supervisor Vida Borja at vborja@mymarianas.com or (670) 433-9365, and for Rota events contact MVA Rota Field Operations Supervisor Dave Atalig at datalig@mymarianas.com or (670) 532-0327.
