BUSINESS owners and their representatives welcome the opportunity to partner with the U.S. military through its Morale, Welfare, and Recreation or MWR program which involves 20,000 military personnel and their families on Guam.
“Every small business I know is looking for an alternative market to sell their products and services,” said Maria Aileen Arnold of Islander Rent a Car.
“Tapping the military market is a good opportunity because right now, our only [tourism] market is Korea, and the military has money to spend for leisure,” she said.
“We need MWR’s help, small businesses like us that are not brand names. We learned that they can do business marketing for us for free,” she added.
According to Jay Wolfe, owner of Axe Murderer Tours, a scuba diving operator, the Joint Region Marianas or JRM presentation was a useful introduction to the services that are available under the MWR program.
“We are excited about the possibility of increased tourism from Guam and the development of tourism packages with MWR. Practically speaking, there are still financial issues with air transportation that…may limit the potential of Guam-CNMI tourism. However, we are hopeful that these can be addressed so that businesses in the CNMI can benefit from the opportunities outlined by MWR,” Wolfe said.
Rita A. Sablan of Ina’s Kitchen said, “There are local businesses that can offer unique, fun, and leisurely activities for the military personnel and their families.”
She said she is very happy that JRM is extending the opportunity to tap the military market to the businesses in the Commonwealth.
Ferrous Habibullah, a taxi operator, said he needs more information about the number of military personnel who will be on island so he can prepare the vehicles he can offer.
Habibullah said he also needs dates of arrival, accommodation details, and duration of stay.
The JRM presenters were Chief Master Sgt. Obeng Durum, James Nilo, and Haley Cawlik.
According to their presentation, the active-duty members’ spending power amounts to $53.8 billion.
Service members earn 30 vacation days a year. Nearly half of active-duty members are married with an average of two children per household.
Men comprise 82% of active-duty service members. The average age for enlisted personnel is 27 while the average age for officers is 34.
Thirty-six percent of service members belong to Gen Z while 53% are millennials.
Service members and their families are always on the move. Four of five military families have moved during their military life.
According to the presentation, the JRM and MWR program offer “Commercial Sponsorship” for businesses that can identify products/services for the military market.
The program can raise awareness about a business product/service in installation publications, on-base signs, base-wide e-mails, posters, flyers and social web media.
The JRM presentation was held in collaboration with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Marianas Visitors Authority.
For her part, MVA acting Managing Director Judy Torres told the attendees that the forum was an opportunity to network, connect, and “hopefully walk away with ideas — if not preliminary plans — on working together for the good of both our local economy and community in support of our military.”
She said this is also JRM’s opportunity to learn about what Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Northern Islands have to offer to their personnel.
“Our beautiful nature,” she said, “our indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures, and the diverse community who call this place home, our unique history, our friendly people, and so much more.”
Business owners or their representatives listen to a Joint Region Marianas presentation on the U.S. military’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program and how businesses can tap into the military market at the multi-purpose center on Tuesday.
