Saipan International Airport should not be renamed because it would affect current efforts to promote the island as a world-class resort destination, a businessman said.
Matthew L. Johnson, managing director of Oasis Cafe & Deli, said Saipan’s airport is the first and last stop of tourists.
“We all must recognize the name ‘Saipan’ as the CNMI’s most important tourist franchise, with powerful marketing value. The name ‘Saipan’ is at once both the destination and the experience in the mind of a visitor,” Johnson said.
“To sever the name ‘Saipan’ from the first and last place the tourist will see—the airport—would effectively turn a readily recognizable symbol into an anonymous entity in the minds of our visitors,” he added.
House Floor Leader Jesus T. Attao, R-Saipan, is proposing to rename Saipan International Airport after the CNMI’s first lt. governor, Francisco C. Ada, to honor his contributions in paving the way for the construction of the facility.
But Johnson said renaming the airport after Ada “might actually diminish the memory and efforts” of the former CNMI leader.
Instead of renaming the airport, a memorial telling the story of the development of Saipan International Airport and Ada’s role should be placed at the site.
