FAT’s pullout affected May arrivals

The pullout affected the overall statistics of the tourist arrivals of May as compared to the same month last year.The 2008 May arrivals dipped by 20 percent with only 4,945 tourists compared to the 6,144 tourists last year.The Taiwan market which is the biggest source of tourists for Palau registered a decrease of 61.20 percent with only 918 guests compared to 2,366 tourists on the same month of year 2007.The top market is tourists from Japan with 1,553 arrivals, an 18.64 percent increase, second top market with 1,085  and Taiwan with 918.Tourists from the United States registered 372 arrivals, occupying the no. four spot. In the top five arrivals meanwhile are from Guam with 230.The first five months of 2008 despite the pullout of FAT is still going strong  with only 1.44 percent decrease compared to last year’s figures from January to May.The first five months totaled to 36,261 tourists compared with 36,791 compared to  36, 791 arrivals covering the same period last year.In the month of May, tourist arrivals from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Guam and Russia increased.FAT’s operation was replaced with air services from China Airlines.China Airlines had its maiden flight on June 1.