THE Marianas Visitors Authority is joining the global travel and tourism community in celebrating World Tourism Day, Monday, Sept. 27, by hosting a series of activities on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
The MVA board earlier this month approved an appropriation of $15,000 for these activities.
Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Priscilla Maratita Iakopo said the festivities will start at 8:30 a.m. with an hour-long beautification cleanup on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, in which businesses and other groups have been invited to participate.
At 9 a.m., MVA, in collaboration with the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture, will celebrate CNMI Museum Day by offering tours at the museum to highlight the importance of promoting history for tourism.
The high school members of the Marianas Youth Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically, or MY WAVE, Club will go on the first tour from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Tourism partners may avail themselves of free tours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the general public can visit the museum from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
CNMI Covid-19 protocols, including social distancing, will be observed.
In the evening, celebrations will continue with the World Tourism Day 5K Sunset Fun Run on Saipan. Registration will open at 5 p.m. at Mina’chom Atdao pavilion at Kilili Beach Park.
The run will begin at 6 p.m. along Saipan Beach Road Pathway, proceeding to Quartermaster Road and back.
On Rota, the run will begin at 5:30 p.m. at East Harbor, proceeding to Kokomo and back.
On Tinian, the run will also begin at 5:30 p.m. at Taga Beach, proceeding along Broadway to the Tinian International Airport intersection and back.
Registration is free and World Tourism Day t-shirts will be distributed while supplies last.
The men’s and women’s divisions will be awarded these cash prizes: $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third.
As part of the Cultural Heritage Month celebration, participants are encouraged to wear Chamorro and Carolinian attires. At stake for the winning attires are in-kind and cash prizes of $100 for first place, $75 for second, and $50 for third.
“As tourism slowly picks up in the Marianas, we are also bringing back events for our community and the few visitors coming in,” said Martin Duenas, MVA community projects manager.
“Thanks to the strict guidelines of our Covid-19 Task Force and strong community cooperation to keep safe, we are able to do so. We invite everyone to celebrate World Tourism Day in support of what tourism means for our Marianas community,” he added.
For more information on World Tourism Day activities contact MVA community projects specialist Jack Aranda at [email protected] or 664-4210 on Saipan; MVA field operations supervisor David Atalig at [email protected] or 532-0327 on Rota; MVA field operations supervisor Vida Borja at [email protected] or 433-9465 on Tinian.
