Northern Marianas’ tourist numbers up 5 percent

CNMI – Tourist arrivals to the Northern Marianas rose five percent in March to 42,539 visitors, with 40,613 visitors during the same period last year.

Arrivals from Korea soared 40 percent to 14,989 visitors as Jeju Air launched an additional daily flight to Saipan from Incheon beginning in late March.

Arrivals from China also soared 31 percent in March to 16,246 visitors.

But with a 51 percent decrease in air seat supply from Japan to the CNMI in March, arrivals from the CNMI’s former number one source market fell 34 percent to 8,808 visitors.

Arrivals from Russia fell 80 percent to 314 visitors in March as a result of the suspension of direct flights in August.