The CNMI's tourism body, the Marianas Visitors Authority, owes tourism agencies in Japan, Korea, Russia, and China as well local vendors over 2 million US dollars.
The Authority has asked the Legislature for help in finding money to pay off the debt.
Lawmakers said MVA has been appropriated 6.1 million under the continuing budget resolution but has so far received only some 23 percent or some 1.4 million dollars of that money.
They added that the lack of money coming MVA's way has resulted in just over 1 million dollars in outstanding contractual obligations to travel agencies in four countries and those in the CNMI.
Visitor arrivals have been on a yearly decline mainly since 2005 when Japan Airlines pulled out from the CNMI.
