16 Jul 2007

CNMI lowers anticipated tourist arrival numbers

8:42 am on 16 July 2007

While Samoa appears to be enjoying a tourist boom, authorities in the Northern Marianas are revising their 2007 arrivals numbers downwards.

With irregular air services stemming from cancellation of some flights and the termination of others over the last few years, the plan to bring in 1 million tourists by 2010 is now deemed unrealistic and has been adjusted to 750,000 - three quarters of a million

Marianas Visitors Authority board chair Jerry Tan says the new lower target is the same as the CNMI's peak year in 1997.

Most of CNMIs tourists come from Japan, South Korea,and China.