THE familiarization or “fam” tour from South Korea is still in the planning phase, but it is an essential component of the CNMI’s plan to resume tourism and jump-start the economy, Marianas Visitors Authority Chairwoman Viola Alepuyo said during an MVA board meeting Wednesday.
She said there are about 50 participants in the fam tour, and they include social media influencers, YouTubers, media and film crew, travel agents, CEOs and managers.
“They will be able to learn and experience the safety measures we have in place in order to keep our community safe from the pandemic,” Alepuyo said, adding that the fam tour will include visits to Tinian and Rota.
“All visitors will be required to comply with our CNMI Covid-19 Task Force protocols, which will include a negative PCR test prior to arrival, testing upon arrival, a five-day mandatory quarantine, and then another test on the fifth day before they are released from quarantine.”
Alepuyo said MVA has been in constant communication and consultation with the Covid-19 Task Force and CNMI public health officials to ensure that any activity related to the resumption of tour marketing is aligned with established health and safety protocols, and is in the best interest of CNMI residents.
Asked whether the CNMI is ready to again accommodate tourists, Alepuyo said: “MVA’s management and staff have been working very hard in collaboration with the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers as well as private businesses in the Public Private Partnership or PPP program to get our tourist sites and facilities ready to begin receiving tourists.”
She said the PPP is a five-year commitment that “aims to give our community a sense of ownership in the beautification and maintenance of our island’s most prized commodity — our natural and historical sites and our environment.”
Also attending the MVA board meeting on Wednesday were members Warren Villagomez, Thomas Liu, Ivan Quichocho, Gloria Cavanagh, Chris Nelson and Aguida Quitugua as well as the MVA management led by Managing Director Priscilla M. Iakopo.
Villagomez, who is also the CNMI Covid-19 Task Force chairman, earlier said that the fam tour from South Korea was expected to arrive on June 15, 2021.
At the meeting on Wednesday, MVA Executive Director Priscilla Iakopo told the board that MVA had received $3 million recently from the Department of Finance.
This amount represents MVA’s fiscal year 2021 budget allotment for February to April 2021, of which $2.4 million came from the Hotel Occupancy Tax collections from FY 2019.
Iakopo proposed the following allocations for the three main islands for tourism enhancement purposes: Saipan, $192,000; Tinian, $179,000; and Rota, $191,000.
She also asked the board to approve $313,000 for fam tours, to reimburse MVA’s building fund, and to set aside a three-month payroll for employees.
The exact figures for payroll and the building fund reimbursements were discussed by the board in an executive or closed-door session.
In a text message late Wednesday afternoon, Iakopo said the proposed allocations were approved by the MVA board.
The Marianas Visitors Authority board of directors and management met on Wednesday at the MVA office in San Jose.
Photo by Bryan Manabat
