By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
FEDERAL policy deliberations on the future of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program must consider the Commonwealth’s unique economic conditions and compliance efforts, a Marianas tourism official said, warning that abrupt changes could worsen the islands’ fragile economic recovery.
Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Jamika Taijeron said the visa‑waiver framework remains a lawful and essential pillar of the local economy.
“Any federal decision must reflect the realities on the ground in the Marianas, not outdated or incomplete data,” Taijeron said. “Our tourism market is lawful, regulated, and central to the livelihoods of thousands of residents. The CNMI cannot absorb another shock.”
The Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program has long supported lawful tourism, small‑business viability, and employment for U.S. citizens and residents. The program operates under federal oversight, with ongoing cooperation between the CNMI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies to strengthen screening, enforcement, and information sharing.
Taijeron noted that some of the data cited in a recent letter from three U.S. senators to DHS and the Department of the Interior “does not reflect the improvements made in partnership with federal agencies” and fails to capture current conditions.
“We have implemented enhanced safeguards, tightened procedures, and improved coordination with DHS, CBP, and other partners,” she said. “Those efforts matter, and they should be part of any policy discussion.”
A December 2025 report from the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands shows the sector remains far from full recovery:
Average occupancy: 28.7% among 11 member hotels, down from 39.8% in December 2024, a 29% decline.
Room nights sold: 18,396 of 64,122 available, compared with 25,133 of 63,233 in 2024.
Average room rate: $112.23, down from $126.46 the previous year.
HANMI said the figures highlight the ongoing volatility of the tourism market and the importance of maintaining stable access to visitor segments that sustain hotel operations, staffing, and government revenue.
Taijeron said preserving the visa‑waiver framework, while continuing to enhance safeguards, advances U.S. strategic, economic, and diplomatic interests in the Pacific.
“The Marianas is a U.S. community striving for recovery and long‑term resilience,” she said. “Policy decisions must consider our unique circumstances and the severe economic consequences that termination of the program would bring.”
MVA said it remains committed to working with federal partners to address any emerging concerns but stressed that decisions must be grounded in current data and the CNMI’s distinct economic realities.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
