A Senate hearing on territorial economic development and national security reignited debate over Chinese travel to the CNMI, prompting tourism and business groups to defend EVS‑TAP as a critical tool for restoring air service and visitor demand.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee convened the June 17 hearing to examine economic development, national security, and federal‑territorial partnerships across the U.S. insular areas. CNMI Gov. David M. Apatang submitted written testimony and was represented in person by his chief of staff, Henry Hofschneider, who fielded questions about the Commonwealth’s continued support for the Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program, or EVS‑TAP.
In his testimony, Apatang urged Congress to help restore air service, strengthen EVS‑TAP rather than remove it, and support FEMA and SBA recovery efforts. He also asked federal policymakers to recognize the islands’ geographic and economic realities, writing: “The CNMI is not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fair treatment. We are asking that federal policy recognize who we are, where we are, and what responsibilities we carry for the United States.”
Following the hearing, tourism and business groups issued statements underscoring the program’s importance to the Commonwealth’s recovery.
Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands Chairman Ivan Quichocho said the hotel industry remains in a fragile state and cannot withstand further disruptions to visitor access.
“The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands supports the continuation of EVS‑TAP as an important economic tool for tourism that allows prescreened nationals of the People’s Republic of China to travel visa free to the Commonwealth under specific security conditions determined and controlled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” Quichocho said.
“Before the pandemic, visitors from China accounted for more than 40% of arrivals and helped support thousands of U.S. jobs. Today, many tourism businesses have closed or continue to struggle with reduced demand, rising operating costs, and limited air service.”
He added that HANMI “100% believes security and economic opportunity can coexist,” warning that removing EVS‑TAP without a viable replacement “would move us further away from recovery at a time when the industry and the community can least afford it.”
Marianas Visitors Authority Chairman Warren Villagomez said EVS‑TAP remains one of the few tools available to rebuild air service and visitor demand.
“The Marianas Visitors Authority supports the continuation of EVS‑TAP, an important tool in our tourism recovery,” Villagomez said. “National security and economic recovery are not mutually exclusive. The program can and should continue with strong screening, vetting, accountability, and federal oversight.”
He noted that the CNMI is rebuilding tourism “with just a fraction of the airline seats, visitors, and marketing resources that existed when the industry was healthy,” and warned that eliminating EVS‑TAP without a replacement “would further reduce visitor demand and make it even more difficult to restore air service, jobs, and economic activity.”
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce also backed the program as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the private sector.
“The CNMI should pursue every legitimate and secure opportunity available to grow our economy, create jobs, attract investment, and improve the quality of life for our residents,” said Chamber President Dr. Joshua Wise.
“Economic opportunity and national security are not mutually exclusive. Both can be advanced through appropriate screening, accountability, and federal oversight.”
Wise said diversification should come from “expanding opportunities, not eliminating them,” and cautioned that removing EVS‑TAP without alternatives would create uncertainty for employers and investors.
“Businesses require stability, predictability, and confidence to invest,” he said. “Sudden policy changes that reduce visitor access or business activity without a clear replacement strategy create uncertainty throughout the Commonwealth.”
Tourism remains the CNMI’s primary economic driver, and industry leaders say the islands are still operating with a fraction of the arrivals, air seats, and revenue that sustained the economy before the pandemic. With visitor arrivals projected at historic lows and air service still limited, stakeholders say EVS‑TAP remains one of the few mechanisms capable of supporting a meaningful recovery.
