South Korea is the CNMI’s second largest tourist market.
Aside from the Saipan route, Asiana will also suspend flights to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, as well as China’s Guilin, Dalian and Shenyang provinces.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, more than 13 million Koreans traveled overseas in 2007. Of this figure, more than 95,000 visited Saipan.
Last year, Korean arrivals further went up by 35 percent to 129,000 after Asiana added more flights.
This year, MVA projected Korean arrivals to reach 165,000.
On the average, a Korean tourist spends $1,576 per trip to the islands.
But as global recession hits the export-based economy of South Korea, the disposable income of its potential tourists has diminished.
The situation is further compounded by the devaluation of the Korean won against the U.S. dollar.
This year, Northwest Airlines announced its nightly flights from Japan will be suspended and its Narita daytime seats will be reduced.
MVA estimates that Northwest’s decision will result in the loss of 43,780 seats and $89 million in potential economic activities in the CNMI.
