The Northern Marianas government is calling on the tourism body to come up with a plan to bring in more Japanese tourists and stimulate the economy.
A representative, Joseph Lee Pan Guerrero, says the Japanese market is what started CNMI's tourism industry, and has urged the Marianas Visitors Authority to find a solution to bring those tourists back.
Japan has been one of CNMI's biggest markets for tourism, but its economic difficulties and the decision of Japan Airlines to stop flights there has resulted in the number of tourists dwindling drastically.
According to the latest report by MVA, tourists from China and Korea outnumber those from Japan.