LIEUTENANT Gov. Diego T. Benavente left the commonwealth on Tuesday afternoon to head the 26-man delegation from Northern Marianas that will visit Guangzhou, China and join some 150 Chinese tourists on the maiden flight of China Southern Airlines to Saipan.
“I am representing the governor in this effort to promote the commonwealth in China,” Benavente told Variety.
Benavente will be joined by one of Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s special assistants, Adam Turner.
The China Southern Airlines aircraft will arrive here at 2 a.m. on April 19.
Babauta and other CNMI officials will welcome the Chinese tourists at the airport.
On April 20, Babauta will join the tourists at a reception sponsored by Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.
China Southern Airlines will fly twice a week using a 198-seat Boeing 757.
Senate Vice President David M. Cing, D-Tinian, Senate Floor Leader Joaquin G. Adriano, D-Tinian, and Sen. Jose M. Dela Cruz, D-Tinian, also flew to Guanzhou to join the inaugural flight.
Tom Liu, general manager of Tinian Dynasty, told Variety that Chinese tourists are considered among the world’s “highest spending visitors.”
He said all countries in the world are targeting the China market.
“We are very, very optimistic. China will be a huge market and we have just opened the door,” Liu said.
