The Marianas Visitors Authority recorded a total of 368,186 visitors in FY 2010, down by 2 percent or fewer by 7,622 compared to FY 2009.
Arrivals from Japan showed positive growth during the period despite the limited number of air seats serving the destination.
In Oct. 2010, the start of FY 2011, arrivals from Japan, the main market of the local tourism industry, increased by 31 percent to 11,279 from 8,602 the year before.
In November, the rate grew by 8 percent to 11,447 from 10,553 in Nov. 2009.
MVA said October to mid-December was considered a “death valley” period for travel as flights from Nagoya and Osaka were temporarily suspended due to low seasonal demand.
One daily flight from Narita was cancelled several times.
“However, holiday flights from the two major cities have resumed in time for the holiday travel season. To help increase visitor arrivals, MVA has requested additional funding for incentives that would help keep Nagoya and Osaka daily flights in operation year-round,” MVA said in a statement.
MVA said the unstable airlift between Saipan and Japan remains one of the biggest hurdles in enticing more Japanese tourists to visit the CNMI.
Price competition with Guam is also a challenge, MVA added.
A dramatic increase in Korean arrivals allowed the CNMI tourism industry to remain afloat.
South Korea, the second biggest tourism market of the CNMI, brought in 19,109 visitors during the first two months of FY 2011 — up by 63 percent.
“This large increase was due to Asiana Airlines’ upgrading of the aircraft used for the morning flight from Incheon from an Airbus 321 with 177 seats to a Boeing 767 with 250 seats from Nov. 1. Korean arrivals have been consistently higher since December 2009, reflecting Korea’s recovery from the global economic crisis and the continued growth of this key market for the Northern Marianas,” MVA said.
China, which MVA referred to in the past as its biggest potential market, is now described as its “secondary market.”
A total of 5,553 Chinese tourists from the mainland visited the CNMI during the first two months of the current fiscal year — down by 16 percent from 6,588 a year ago.
MVA blamed the negative growth to last month’s reduction of air seats from China.
During the same period, the number of visitors from the U.S. grew by 25 percent to 1,755. This was largely due to the visit of two military ships.
Fewer Russians visited Saipan from Oct. to Nov. 2010 — 655 compared to 751 during the same months last year.
