Inos, in an interview, said before East Harbor was destroyed by a typhoon years ago, Rota was a favored destination of many tourists who liked sports.
He said triathlon organized by a local sports group drew many tourists when it was held at the East Harbor.
Likewise, the annual fishing derby organized by local fishermen drew many participants from Asia and neighboring islands and was also held at the harbor, which was used as launching area for other marine sports like canoe race and scuba diving.
It was also the launching area for the boats that brought tourists to the coral garden and a sunken World War II Japanese warship located just a few miles east of Rota.
Inos said aside from these sport events and tourist-oriented activities, East Harbor was also used as the local fishermen’s launching area.
When the harbor was destroyed, economic activities on Rota declined while causing “congestion” at the West Harbor, Inos said.
Now that the East Harbor is back in shape, Rota can flourish as a tourist destination again, he added.
The project is among the three projects that DPW expects to complete on Rota next month.
All these projects are federally funded.
