Confronting Setbacks in Tourism

I was glad to welcome Marianas Visitors Authority Chairman Warren Villagomez and Managing Director Jamika Taijeron to the District Office this week for an update on the state of our tourism industry. Their visit came just as Jeju Air announced it would suspend one of its flights to the CNMI, another setback for our already fragile tourism recovery. Transportation is critical to tourism, and tourism is essential to sustaining our economy and government services. MVA also shared a letter outlining their concerns and recommendations. These frank conversations are necessary if we are going to put real solutions on the table and secure recovery. We all have a role to play, and I look forward to continuing to work with MVA, the Governor’s Office, and our partners at the U.S. Department of Transportation (more on this below) to move solutions forward.