Hiroyuki Toyoshima, Aqua Resort Club’s newly installed general manager, said the hotel and the tourism industry is a far cry from what it used to be two decades ago, but businesses can still survive despite the hard economy.
“Twenty years ago, tourism was very good here. All the businesses were enjoying their peak times. The influx of tourists and the big number of occupants in the island kept the economy thriving, but today, more effort is needed to keep businesses alive,” said Toyoshima, who last visited the island in the early 1990s.
Toyoshima said there is a big need to do more than just wait for the arrival of more tourists.
“If there are no flights coming in, naturally nobody will come here. Not only Aqua Resort is facing challenges and lots of problems, but all the other hotels as well. It is not easy to fill hotel rooms even if all the hotels try their best marketing strategies,” Toyoshima said.
He said the hotel association should work with MVA and the community to promote the CNMI.
He said that the CNMI has so much to offer to the people from other parts of the world, especially those from big bustling cities.
“The CNMI has pristine beaches, beautiful dive sites, rich historical ties, local culture and traditions and more — things that people from busy cities would gladly spend for a few days’ getaway,” he said.
Toyoshima said with global economic situation beyond anybody’s control, hotel operators can still use their best features to attract more tourists.
The Aqua Resort Club, for instance, he said, takes pride as being the only ideally located resort where guests can enjoy staying at any of the luxurious, two-story cottages, bask in total privacy, swim in clear waters, eat local food and delicacies and get total relaxation.
“Having spent almost all of my life in the hotel industry, I learned a lot in putting the focus on extending authentic hospitality and comfort to the guests because when they are happy with what they experienced, they will spread the word to others, come back and spend money and that can help spur the economy,” he said.
This is where the participation of the community comes in, he added.
“If the community helps in making the guests feel welcome here, in addition to the promotion efforts conducted by MVA and other stakeholders in the tourism industry, we will have more tourists who will keep coming back,” Toyoshima said.
He brings with him 38 years experience in the hotel industry hopping from one hotel to another in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guam, Honolulu and other parts of the world.
