Donated by Tasi Tours, the display can be seen in the arrival area and has welcome message in various languages — Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Carolinian, Chamorro, and Filipino.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said visitors should be given a “unique welcome” upon arriving on island.
“We want to provide them with a warm, friendly, and inviting environment at our airport,” he said. “This is also to give them a sense of our culture and hospitality — to give them a sense of our Hafa Adai spirit and make them feel comfortable, relaxed and refreshed so they can look forward to their next visit.”
He added, “[We want] them to keep coming back for repeat visits. Because whatever international events we may hold, I believe our tourism industry can only thrive and prosper when we cater to our guests, and I believe enhancements such as this new airport display will only move us to the right direction.”
Yesterday was also the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which, according to the governor, “changed the world forever” and eventually resulted in the federalization of the CNMI immigration system.
“During those tragic moments in 2001, we saw how quickly our local visitor industry could be adversely affected by international events beyond our control,” he said. “When the [Federal Aviation Administration] ordered all flights cancelled and our tourists were stranded, we saw how vulnerable our islands could be to major international events.”
This and invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as conflicts in the Middle East have affected the CNMI’s tourism traffic, Fitial said.
Since 2001, he said, the commonwealth’s arrival rate has dropped sharply.
“We are still struggling to re-build our tourism industry today,” he added.
The governor commended Tasi Tours for its donation and the Marianas Visitors Authority for “promoting the CNMI in other markets.”
Kazusuke Fukuju, president of Tasi Tours and general manager of Pacific Micronesian Tours, yesterday reiterated his company’s commitment to CNMI tourism.
Also recognized during yesterday’s ceremony were the two local students who joined the governor in the photograph.
One of them, 9-year-old Martina T. Ada of William S. Reyes Elementary School, said that it was an honor to represent the Micronesian children in the photograph.
A copy of the photo was given to her and her parents, Frances and Alfred Ada, by the governor.
Also present in yesterday’s event were the board members and officials of the MVA and Commonwealth Ports Authority.
