(MVA) — To celebrate Marianas Tourism Month, the Marianas Visitors Authority has organized a series of community events in May 2025 to celebrate The Marianas tourism industry.
A proclamation signing ceremony declaring May as Tourism Month was held Tuesday, April 29, at 2 p.m. at the MVA office on Beach Rd., I Liyan, Saipan.
“Marianas Tourism Month celebrates the industry that highlights so much of what makes The Marianas a beautiful place to live, to work, to do business, and to visit,” said MVA Managing Director Jamika R. Taijeron. “Tourism Month is an opportunity to see our home through fresh eyes…the eyes of a visitor. We invite everyone to join us during any — or all — of this month planned activities.”
The 25th Annual Taste of The Marianas International Food Festival will be held on May 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2025, at American Memorial Park, Garapan, from 5-10 p.m. (until 11 p.m. on the final night), featuring affordable dishes from local hotels and restaurants, live entertainment, food eating competitions, cooking contests, arts and crafts sales, and more. Entry is free.
On May 12, the National Honor Society of Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr./Sr. High School will contribute to eco-tourism by planting fruit trees with the Department of Lands & Natural Resources.
On May 17 the MY WAVE and STUCO Clubs of Sinapalo Elementary School will experience being “Tourists for a Day” with a tour of island historic and scenic sites, including the newly designated National Historic Landmark As Nieves Latte Stone Quarry. Third graders in Tinian will have the opportunity to understand the industry better by being “Tourists for a Day” on May 23. Students will take a familiarization tour of historic and scenic sites on island and learn about the importance of maintaining and protecting popular tourist sites.
In collaboration with Run Saipan, the MVA will host a Tourism Month 5K Sunset Run on May 19 beginning at 5:45 p.m. at Garapan Fishing Base. Registration opens at 5 p.m. and is free. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in the male and female categories, along with the best overall costume relating to tourism.
Island beautification also remains a priority for Marianas Tourism Month. “Operation Cleanup” on Tinian on May 21-22 will bring government partners together to clear and extending the historic Ginzoa Trail and Kastiyu Cave site. On May 23, visitors to the island of Tinian will be welcomed to assist with tree planting at tourist sites or major roadsides as part of the “I am a Green Tourist” activity. The public is invited to join the annual Tourism Month Industry Cleanup on May 24 in Saipan. Individuals may clean in their respective business areas, villages, homes, or public areas, or join the MVA and tourism partners at 8 a.m. at Makaka Beach south of Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan.
The manamko’ in Rota will be treated to an island tour of tourist sites and lunch, organized in cooperation with the Department of Community & Cultural Affairs on May 23.
To help promote the destination, the Marianas Visitors Authority has launched “The Marianas Experience” reel contest. The one-minute videos should highlight the best experiences available in The Marianas, and the contest theme is, “The Perfect 4-day Getaway on Saipan, Tinian, or Rota.” Cash prizes will be awarded and the deadline is 3 p.m. ChST on May 16, 2025. For full contest details visit www.mymarianas.com or @TheMarianas in Instagram.
Throughout the month the public will have the chance to win a limited Tourism Month t-shirts and gift cards for local businesses by correctly answering tourism-related trivia questions on radio stations Power 99 (97.9 FM) and KKMP (92.1 FM).
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/VisitTheMarianas or www.mymarianas.com/The-Marianas-Calendar or for Saipan events contact MVA Community Projects Specialist Jack Aranda at (670) 664-3200/1 or communityprojects@mymarianas.com, for Tinian events contact MVA Tinian Field Operations supervisor Vida Borja at vborja@mymarianas.com or (670) 433-9365, and for Rota events contact MVA Rota Field Operations Supervisor Dave Atalig at datalig@mymarianas.com or (670) 532-0327.
