Tourism

Six candidates are seeking to become the next managing director of the Marianas Visitors Authority after the application period closed last week.

The Marianas Visitors Authority, Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands and Saipan Chamber of Commerce are pushing for the reinstatement of EVS-TAP, warning the federal decision could jeopardize airline service and visitor growth at a critical time for the CNMI economy.

The Visitors Authority says that in 2025, Palau recorded the highest number of American, Australian and European tourists in the nation’s history.

Warning that a prolonged disruption could further strain the Commonwealth's tourism industry, CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds said her immediate priority is securing the resumption of EVS-TAP following a federal suspension of the program.

Arrivals had been trending up year-over-year at the beginning of the fiscal year, but began dropping in April, the month Sinlaku hit the Marianas.

With Manila–Saipan flights set to resume this month, the MVA board has authorized a $400,000 sole‑source contract with Philippine Airlines for winter and summer air service.

The expo is one of Japan’s largest annual travel events, bringing together tourism professionals, destinations, travel companies, and consumers from Japan and around the world.

During Thursday’s meeting, the directors were presented with a motion to sponsor the new Jingle on the Block party and Mad Collab 2027 for $189,800.

The bill introduced in Congress would add the Philippines to the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program and expand eligibility to Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Mongolia.

Guam tourism arrivals continued to decline in July, with arrivals down about 37% compared with the same month last year.