‘Taste’ returns to AMP; Taijeron says tourism ‘can never give up’ despite challenges

ISLAND residents gathered at American Memorial Park for the opening day of the annual Marianas Visitors Authority’s Taste of the Marianas festival on Saturday, May 3.

Jamica R. Taijeron, MVA’s managing director, called it “one of the most anticipated events of the year.”

“The turnout is excellent,” she said. “From 4:30 this afternoon we started seeing people come in and it’s really going now and we have tons of entertainment. Thank you to the community for showing up and there are also a lot of tourists that are here today.”

MVA hosts the Taste of the Marianas every Saturday in May, the CNMI Tourism Month.

Dozens of food and art vendors are participating in the event including Crowne Plaza, Herman’s Modern Bakery, Fork & Spoon, Great Harvest, Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant, and more.

Food vendors accept credit and debit card payments, but not cash. Customers can purchase festival tokens, which can be exchanged for food and beverages instead of cash. All token sales are final.

Taijeron said on May 24 the HANMI-NMTech Chefs Cook Off will feature the island’s top chefs competing head-to-head with their best kelaguen recipes.

Never give up

Although the industry is in a slump, Taijeron said tourism is something on which the CNMI “can never give up.”

“We’re not the only island destination that is experiencing difficult recovery,” she said. “We heard during the [Saipan Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum] that … Guam and Hawaii have the same challenges that we do. We might just be feeling it more because tourism is our only economic driver on the islands. We cannot give up. We have to unite as a community and support each other. I really felt the support tonight by seeing the community members here and different members of our government sectors who also came in to support.”

She said despite national and international factors that affect the CNMI, the local tourism product is something that can be controlled internally.

“Our product is our destination,” Taijeron told Variety. “Our destination is everything we have from businesses, the people, the community, the culture.”

At the Saipan Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum on April 23, Taijeron discussed five “major global travel trends” that the CNMI is in a “great position to deliver on”: wellness and healing, sustainable travel, educational travel, remote work, and experience-driven travel.

She said travelers are looking for destinations that support the environment. She added that families want trips that offer learning for children, including history and cultural workshops.

She said the CNMI could also attract remote professionals who want to “work from paradise.”

According to Taijeron, today’s travelers are seeking “immersive moments,” and the CNMI could capitalize on this by offering marine eco-tours or Chamorro and Carolinian workshops.

She said the CNMI can already begin to create such a product that will be ready to serve tourists when the market is healthier.

“One of the things I mentioned at the economic forum are the different kinds of business concepts that we can think about, dealing with sustainability, organic and natural farm to table concepts, and cultural concepts,” Taijeron said. “That’s where we can be in control. We can build up those products, so when we promote it, and tourists would be interested in coming and engaging in those activities.”

Island residents flocked to the opening night of Taste of the Marianas on May 3.

 

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