TO keep a tight grip on the Japan market, the Marianas Visitors Authority will hire its own staff and open three offices in Japan.
New offices will be set up in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.
“We will hire our own staff in Japan. We’re looking for people that are from Japan because it’s very important that these individuals know the territory, the market,” MVA Managing Director Jonas Ogren said in an interview.
Recent findings showed that tourist arrivals from Japan, the biggest market of the CNMI, has not recovered since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Data showed that all markets, except Japan, posed a slight growth in tourist arrivals in May 2002.
In May 2002, the Japanese market recorded 25,247 arrivals, which is 14 percent lower than the same period last year.
From Oct. 2001 to May this year, MVA said the number of Japanese tourists declined by 28 percent compared to the same period last year.
The decline in the Japanese market, according to MVA, was due to “uncertainty over economic prospects.”
A Japan Travel Bureau survey said “outbound travel during the month declined by 6 percent,” according to MVA.
Ogren said MVA has received eight proposals from private companies and individuals to set up representative offices in Japan.
The deadline for submission of applications is on July 1.
After 30 days, the MVA board is expected to decide which companies will be allowed to represent the agency in key areas in Japan.
“Once the board makes the decision, we’ll go ahead. By the beginning of the FY 2003 we expect to have new representation in Japan,” he said.
The lack of representative offices in Japan has created a negative impression among some travel operators, MVA officials said.
