THE Marianas Visitors Authority reports that visitor arrivals to The Marianas totaled 11,957 in May 2025, a 36% decrease compared to 18,680 visitors received in May 2024. So far this fiscal year, visitor arrivals are 26% lower than over the same period last year.
MVA continues to work with the CNMI Office of the Governor, Commonwealth Ports Authority, and airline and travel partners toward the goal of retaining current air service and increasing flight frequency during high travel periods.
South Korea remains top focus
South Korea remained the leading visitor source market with 9,181 arrivals in May 2025 — a 31% decline from 13,378 visitors in May 2024. The Marianas received 67 flights from Korea in May 2025 compared to 102 flights last year. T’way Air retained daily flights for a total of 30 flights in May, although the flight will be suspended from June 9 to July 6 as part of over 300 routes suspended globally by the airline due to continued declining profitability. Except from May 1-7. Jeju Air’s twice daily flights last year were reduced to once a day starting May 9. Asiana Airlines had ended its flights to Saipan in July 2024 under its then-pending merger with Korean Air, resulting in a loss of eight flights for the month year-on-year.
Other factors contributing to the decline include the strength of the U.S. dollar, increased governmental oversight and an accompanying reduction in flights following the deadly December 2024 crash in Korea, and fierce competition with Southeast Asian destinations. A continuing shortage of new Boeing aircraft across multiple carriers — which is contributing to strong route competition — is anticipated to be alleviated with the delivery of new equipment beginning in 2026.
Japan market
Visitor arrivals from Japan reached 573 arrivals in May 2025 compared to 859 in May 2024. United Airlines reverted to a less convenient flight schedule on May 1, which is negatively impacting visitor arrivals. However, it is anticipated that the more favorable schedule will be reinstated by November. Overall outbound travel from Japan continues a slow recovery since the pandemic. Arrivals to The Marianas from Japan have also been dampened due to the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.
EVS-TAP silence guts China market
Arrivals from China reached 183 in May 2025, reflecting a 91% decrease from 2,061 visitors recorded in May 2024 when Hong Kong Airlines initiated direct flights from Hong Kong to Saipan. Arrivals declined precipitously beginning in April as U.S. Customs and Border Protection abruptly stopped processing travelers’ applications under the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program.
CNMI EVS-TAP is a restricted sub-program of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program and allows prescreened nationals of the People’s Republic of China to travel to the destination without a visa under specified conditions. The silence on EVS-TAP has been taken up with federal partners by a broad sector of The Marianas, including the Office of the Governor, U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds and other members of Congress, Saipan Chamber of Commerce, Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands, and other stakeholders.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, China comprised over 48% of The Marianas’ visitors, with direct flights from multiple cities. As a result of the EVS-TAP stymie, the two weekly flights by Hong Kong Airlines have been suspended until the first week of July pending reinstatement of the program.
Other markets
Additional visitor arrivals in May 2025 included:
Guam: 952 visitors
United States: 700 visitors
Other markets (combined): 368 visitors
