(HANMI) — The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands reported 17% average occupancy rate among 11 member hotels for November 2025, 37% lower than 27.45% in November 2024 and the lowest occupancy rate ever recorded by the association, excluding November 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to HANMI, hotels typically require around 70-80% hotel occupancy to stay in operation.
A total of 10,736 of 62,052 available room nights sold during November 2025 compared to 17,292 of 62,989 available rooms sold in November 2024. The average room rate was $102.65, as compared to $112.18 last November and the lowest November room rate in 13 years.
Based on airline flights announced so far for FY 2026, air seat capacity to the Marianas is anticipated to drop even further this year. The destination is reeling from a “perfect storm” of 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.
“Digging our way out of this pit demands unified, results-driven collaboration among government agencies, federal partners, and the private sector, and that’s what we’re doing,” said HANMI Chairman Dennis Seo. “The situation is desperate. We urgently need our federal partners to hear and support our requests for support. We need the Marianas to have a piece of the 2025 Strategic Trade & Investment Agreements between the United States and Korea and Japan, we need a waiver from cabotage for the Saipan-Guam route, we need some number of direct flights from China — as we had before the pandemic, and we need essential air service. We’re not seeking a handout, but we are asking for the tools to rebuild our economy.”
Although air ticket prices from Korea to the closest competing destination of Guam are still rock bottom, it is anticipated that sudden oversupply of air seats to Guam that started in August will begin to level out in January 2026. HANMI has also played a pivotal role in securing seasonal charter flights from Korea early next year, including twice weekly flights by T’way Air from Seoul-Incheon from Jan. 2 to Feb. 27, and twice weekly flights by Air Busan from Busan from Jan. 7 to March 6. To further bolster the local tourism economy, HANMI is supporting efforts by the Apatang administration and office of Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds to secure a special carveout of a limited number of direct flights between mainland China and the Marianas, as the destination had prior to the pandemic. Seo added that airline and travel agency partners also need assurance of the stability of the EVS-TAP immigration program that allows qualified Chinese citizens who do not have a U.S. visa to enter the Marianas.
Seo said HANMI members are also exploring ways to embrace the new Marianas global brand “Far From Ordinary” on their properties to set the islands apart from competing destinations.
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.
