THE Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands reported an average occupancy rate of 22.07% among 11 member hotels for June 2025 — 54% lower than the 41.07% recorded in June 2024.
According to HANMI, hotels typically require around 70-80% hotel occupancy to stay in operation.
A total of 12,326 of 55,848 available room nights were sold during June 2025 compared to 25,862 of 62,972 available rooms sold in June 2024. The average room rate was $105.68 compared to $121.79 last June.
The June 2025 figures exclude the former 315-room Hyatt Regency Saipan reported in 2024.
Visitor arrivals to the Marianas continue to decline in the face of fierce flight competition from the primary source market of Korea, an unfavorable currency exchange rate, and the temporary suspension of EVS-TAP applications for Chinese citizens by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security beginning in April. Application processing suddenly resumed last week, a move applauded by HANMI.
“The resumption of EVS-TAP is a lifeline for our economy and the people of the Commonwealth,” said HANMI Chairman Dennis Seo. “It will take time to rebuild arrivals through Hong Kong — where we had flights before the suspension, not to mention all the other cities in mainland China we had flights from before the pandemic. But EVS-TAP reopens the door to that. We thank Congresswoman Kimberly King-Hinds, local partners, and our federal partners who heard the Commonwealth’s pleas for help and reinstated this economic development tool for us.”
Seo said HANMI has also been working closely with the administration and MVA to bring new air service to Saipan this year, including talks with Korean Air. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios also recently visited Japan for meetings with major Japanese airlines and tourism stakeholders to restore air connectivity.
“June was another month of only daily flight from South Korea for most of the month, three flights a week from Japan, and one daily flight from Guam, a huge drop off from the gains the Marianas was making a year ago,” Seo said. “In order to attract and sustain new flights, we should adopt more competitive support policies that assist both travel agencies — the sellers — and airlines. This is a time when active support from the government and all tourism-related stakeholders is urgently needed. We must continue to work together as government, business, and community to pull ourselves out of this situation.”
Since the beginning of the year, the 11 HANMI member hotels — representing a majority of hotel rooms in the Marianas — have collectively lost 24% of their workforce, which totaled 1,200 employees in January. There were over 2,100 collective employees among HANMI hotels in 2018.
“We support Congresswoman King-Hinds’ ‘Policy for CNMI Workforce Stabilization’ and will continue to work with her office toward the goal of bringing back a stable tourism economy, supported by a stable tourism workforce,” Seo said.
Hotels included in HANMI’s monthly statistical report are Aqua Resort Club, Aquarius Beach Tower, Century Hotel, Coral Ocean Resort, Grandvrio Resort Saipan, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, Kensington Hotel Saipan, LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, Saipan World Resort, and Surfrider Resort Hotel.
The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands was established in 1985 as a professional forum for the hospitality industry of the Marianas.
