AS the Commonwealth continues to work toward reviving its only industry, tourism, Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Priscilla Iakopo said that it is too premature to detail a travel bubble agreement with Hong Kong.
“MVA is grateful for the Department of Homeland Security’s recent decision, and we are now expanding our analysis of the Hong Kong market for the resumption of direct flights to the Marianas [in] consultation [with] the administration, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, the CNMI Covid-19 Task Force, and our tourism partners,” she said last week.
“With this month’s establishment of a travel bubble with the Republic of Korea, the Marianas now has a template of protocols in place to begin the safe resumption of travel from markets.
“Our immediate goal is to ensure the success of the upcoming CNMI Tourism Resumption Investment Plan, or TRIP, program with an expected three flights a week from South Korea beginning this month. This success will lay the foundation for the eventual return of Japan, Hong Kong, and other markets,” Iakopo said.
“We definitely want to ensure that our processes — as [these are] new with the travel bubble with South Korea — [are] successful [and] that we’ve actually mastered our protocols before we actually engage with other markets.”
Earlier this month, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres announced that the Biden administration had approved his request to include Hong Kong anew in the CNMI Visa Waiver program.
The CNMI administration sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on April 8, commending the federal government for supporting the Commonwealth during this pandemic, while also formally requesting that the Department of Homeland Security once again include Hong Kong in the CNMI Visa Waiver program in order to safely resume tourism.
Torres emphasized the importance of resuming tourism with trusted travel partners to support the long-term well-being of the people of the CNMI.
“Our efforts to support a viable and prosperous American community here, and to build the foundations of economic diversification, rely on our ability to resume our tourism market,” he said.
After the federal administration granted the visa waiver request for Hong Kong, Torres said, “This is big news, as it allows us to jump-start plans to reopen tourism with a stable and beneficial travel partner for the CNMI. Hong Kong has seen no local Covid-19 cases for a month, and they are gradually getting their people vaccinated. Our plan with Hong Kong is to build on our Covid-19 protective measures, vaccination rate, and beautification efforts by all of our community partners to gradually get our tourism back to a true sense of normalcy. This means more economic growth, which provides our local people jobs, helps small businesses, restaurants, and hotels, and funds government services.”
The governor also emphasized that the resumption of tourism will always prioritize the health and safety of the people of the CNMI first.
“We are committed to making sure our travel bubble with South Korea is done right to ensure the safety of both South Korean visitors and our community,” he said.
The Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers thanked the Biden administration for hearing and supporting the needs of the Marianas and applauded the governor and his team for working diligently to make this possible.
“As the Marianas begins to reopen tourism, we are working to establish strategic partnerships that will strengthen our tourism industry and support economic growth through the creation of jobs and revenue opportunities for local businesses and our government. Including Hong Kong in the CNMI Visa Waiver program reopens a valuable and attractive source market for the Marianas that will ultimately benefit our residents and improve their quality of life,” the council stated.
“The goal of the council is to make the Marianas a world-class destination. As we reopen to the world, we are excited to share the transformation we have made and will continue to build in the years to come.”
Torres likewise extended his gratitude to the Biden administration, especially DHS Secretary Mayorkas and the DHS, for their support and for recognizing the CNMI’s response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is a great first step, and I also thank our community for supporting us on our road to recovery.”
South Korean participants in a familiarization tour arrive on Saipan on Saturday.
