Occupancy at 23 pct. in October
(HANMI) – The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands (HANMI) reported 23.18% average occupancy rate among 11 member hotels for October 2025, which is 27 percent lower than 31.62 percent in October 2024. This latest figure is the lowest occupancy rate recorded since 1992, excluding October 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 14,840 of 64,008 available room nights sold during October 2025 compared to 20,557 of 65,020 available rooms sold in October 2024. The average room rate was $117.04 compared to $119.87 last October and the lowest October room rate in 12 years.
Visitor arrivals to The Marianas have struggled over the last year and half due to several factors: fierce flight competition from the primary source market of Korea, an unfavorable currency exchange rate, an oversupply of air seats to neighboring Guam, a global shortage of new aircraft due to Boeing delivery delays, loss of destination competitiveness, and other factors.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission had approved the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines in late 2024 with strict requirements, including a 90% seat supply mandate on routes deemed important, such as the Guam route. To meet their mandated air seat number for 2025, Korean Air and its LCC affiliate Jin Air began doubling flights on the Seoul Incheon-Guam route in August, eventually operating at six times a day to meet the mandate.
“Air ticket prices from Korea to Guam are still rock bottom, and we hope to see reprieve from the Korean Fair Trade Commission on these seat supply mandates that have created instability of the open market in our region,” said HANMI Chairman Dennis Seo. There is hope that a sudden oversupply of air seats to Guam that started in August from the top source market of Korea will begin to level out in 2026.
“The path forward requires coordinated action—government agencies, federal partners, and the private sector all moving in the same direction with realistic, execution-ready strategies,” said Seo. “Recent efforts, such as the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors and increased engagement from our CNMI-U.S. House offices, are encouraging, and we still need practical short-term measures to help businesses withstand current market shocks, and mid-term initiatives that restore our destination’s competitiveness. For instance, in addition to increasing the frequency of our Hong Kong charter beginning next summer, HANMI is doing its part by advancing winter charter discussions with airline partners from both Incheon and Busan beginning in early January 2026. We are also supporting community-driven cultural initiatives—such as reviving the night street market—that offer visitors a truly ‘far-from-ordinary’ experience in the Marianas.”
“Far From Ordinary” is a new branding slogan for the Marianas officially launched by Marianas Visitors Authority on Nov. 7, 2025.
To further bolster the local tourism economy, HANMI is also seeking the reinstatement of Annex VI under the US Department of Transportation’s “US-China Air Transport Agreement,” provided an exemption for The Marianas from the cap on the number of scheduled US-China flights. Seo said that along with Annex VI, airline and travel agency partners need assurance of the stability of the EVS-TAP immigration program that allows non-visa holders to enter the CNMI. He added that full endorsement from the government and all concerned parties is critical.
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.
