THE CNMI’s visitor arrivals rate declined by 13.41 percent in April compared to the same period last year, the Marianas Visiting Authority said yesterday.
According to MVA, there were 33,507 visitors last month.
Over all, visitor arrivals declined by 25.37 percent from Oct. 2001 to April 2002, MVA said.
The latest report, however, showed significant increase for Korean and Chinese arrivals.
MVA said that last month, Korean figures increased by 29 percent, while China’s number was up by 319 percent.
MVA attributed the phenomenal increase in the number of visitors from China to the bi-weekly charter flights of China Southern Air which began on April 20.
The airline uses a B757 aircraft which carries up to 198 passengers per trip.
MVA said Korean Airlines’ direct flights are fueling the continuing rise in visitors from Korea.
But Japan, Saipan’s major market, registered a 21 percent decline last month compared to the same period last year.
There were no charter flights from Japan last month.
Japan, however, remains the CNMI’s largest tourism market with 22,469 visitors. There were 6,254 visitors from Korea; 1,473 from the U.S; 1,593 from Guam; 565 from China; 226 from Hong Kong; and 71 from Taiwan.
MVA also noted that in April last year, three military ships docked here, bringing in 764 visitors. Last month, only one military ship came.
“All islands continue to experience decline in arrivals this April as compared to April last year as outbound travel from many markets worldwide plunged since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and economic uncertainties in Asia and the U.S,” MVA said.
