Sofia Del Rosario and Adriel Lenteja, second and third left, respectively, receive $500 on March 8, 2023, at Tinian Jr./Sr. High School for 1st place in the Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism App Challenge. Also awarded for 3rd place and receiving $200 are Bernadette Fleming and Carrika San Nicolas, center and third right, respectively. From left are MTEC Board Member Martin Duenas, Del Rosario, Lenteja, Fleming, San Nicolas, MY WAVE Club Advisor Erica S. Evangelista and Vice Principal Nikita Mendiola.
Dip Roy, center, received $300 on March 9, 2023, at Marianas High School for 2nd place in the Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism App Challenge. From left, MTEC Acting Chairwoman Vicky Benavente, Roy, and Marianas High School Principal Jonathan Aguon.
(MVA) — The 2023 Marianas Tourism Golf Classic will be held during Labor Day weekend on Sept. 2, 2023, at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort west course in Saipan.
Tournament proceeds will be used to fund the education work of the non-profit organization Marianas Tourism Education Council, which focuses on schoolchildren, and school tourism MY WAVE or Marianas Youth Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically Clubs. Tournament planning is underway and further details will be released shortly.
“We’re hoping to raise funds to continue the MTEC’s mission — that is to educate the community, especially the youth, about the importance of tourism,” said MTEC Acting Chairwoman Vicky Benavente. “Thanks to the great support of local businesses, we’ve been able to reach thousands of students since the MTEC was established in 2002.”
MTEC recently conducted the MTEC Tourism App Challenge, inviting students to design an app for visitors to the Marianas.
Entries were judged based on originality of the app idea, creativity of the app design, mobile user experience, and demonstration of indigenous cultures, traditions and/or values.
Sofia Del Rosario and Adriel Lenteja of Tinian Jr./Sr. High won 1st place and $500. Winning 2nd place and $300 was Roy Dip of Marianas High School. Third place and $200 went to team leader Bernadette Fleming and teammate Carrika San Nicholas of Tinian Jr./Sr. High School.
MTEC and the Marianas Visitors Authority have also visited almost 20 public schools so far this school year to teach students about the Marianas tourism industry and the work of the MVA. The 2023 MTEC Tourism Summit also gathered more than 300 MY WAVE Club members on Jan. 19, 2023, at Kensington Hotel Saipan for a day of tourism-related topics and activities.
