March 2012 visitor arrivals to the Northern Mariana Islands were up 19 percent compared to March 2011.
According to data issued by the Marianas Visitors Authority yesterday, visitor arrivals to the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota totaled 36,033 in March compared to 30,376 in March 2011.
Overall, visitor arrivals are up 8 percent so far this fiscal year to 198,014 visitors.
Arrivals from Japan dropped 3 percent to 16,742 in March, as the CNMI received just two daily flights from Narita for most of the month, compared to three daily flights in March 2011.
Arrivals from Korea posted a second month of double-digit increase, up 33 percent to 9,431 visitors, while tourists from China grew exponentially in March, increasing 157 percent to 6,779 visitors.
