According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, total visitor arrivals to the CNMI reached 35,594 last month versus 40,222 in Feb. 2008, continued evidence of reduced worldwide travel.
Major factors influencing the CNMI decline include a continued cool economy in the primary market of Korea and a weak won against the U.S. dollar.
Korea posted a fourth consecutive month of loss with 25 percent fewer arrivals than Feb. 2008 — 8,305 visitors.
The number of air seats from Korea also dropped 14 percent compared to Feb. 2008.
According to the Bank of Korea, the Korean won fell 25.7 percent against the dollar last year, becoming one of the world’s worst performing currencies.
Koreans’ spending on overseas travel sharply declined due to a weaker won and the economic slump.
Their spending amounted to $12.6 billion in 2008, down 25.4 percent from the previous year.
“While the Korean economy is down, fewer Koreans are traveling overseas,” said MVA Managing Director Perry Tenorio. “In Jan. 2009, total outbound travel from Korea was down nearly 40 percent as compared to Jan. 2008. Many Korean travelers are heeding their government’s request not to travel abroad.”
Asiana Airlines has announced a decrease in its air capacity from Seoul to Saipan.
B767 aircraft, which has 250 seats, and was used for evening flights will be replaced with the A321 aircraft with 177 seats until March 28.
Also, the air carrier will pull out its morning flights during off-season months from March 29 until June 30.
This tentative plan may change according to the volatile market situation.
Despite the economic downturn, the load factors for the route remained above 80 percent during February.
Asiana Airlines will also decrease the number of weekly flights for the Busan-Saipan route from the current four to two from March 1 until July 16.
This flight will be operated on Thursdays and Sundays using an Airbus 321s — 177 seats — from March 29.
Also affecting lower arrivals this month, the Lunar New Year holiday and its accompanying travel occurred in January this year.
The Lunar New Year fell in February last year.
China arrivals were down 60 percent to 2,345, due in part to fewer flights from major cities, including Guangzhou.
The CNMI received only one cruise ship last month compared to three cruise ships and two military ships in Feb. 2008.
Arrivals to the CNMI from Guam and the mainland U.S. were down last month to 1,267 and 615 arrivals, respectively, as were arrivals from the Philippines, Taiwan and other areas.
On a positive note, arrivals from the primary market of Japan posted an 18 percent increase over a year ago to 22,275, continuing the increases shown during the last few months.
The increase was bolstered largely by 35 percent additional air seats from Japan ¯ 25,971 seats in February compared to 19,198 seats in Feb. 2008.
That includes 182 additional seats added via the daily nighttime flights from Narita by Northwest Airlines launched on July 2, 2008.
Travel Journal’s latest semi-annual survey of air capacity found Saipan/Guam’s market share increased by 4.15 percent versus the 3.71 percent a year earlier, thanks to new flights launched to Saipan, while Hawaii’s share fell by 3.96 percent due to Continental Airlines’ withdrawal.
“It’s worthy to note that despite 12 percent fewer Japanese traveling outside the country in Jan. 2009 versus Jan. 2008, the Northern Marianas has been seeing an actual increase in Japanese arrivals over the last several months compared to last year,” said Tenorio.
“The travel trends from Japan demonstrate that in order to increase arrivals, we must both retain the air seats we have and seek every means to increase the number of seats,” he added. “We’re pleased to see an increase in February arrivals from Japan, but we are already seeing the effects of the air seat reductions by Northwest Airlines with its termination of daily service from Osaka beginning March 1. We are very concerned about additional reductions announced for the rest of the year.”
The number of arrivals from Russia continued to grow, with 506 visitors arriving from Russia, or 46 percent more than last February.
