Post-COVID tourism slowly recovers in Saipan, backed by South Korean visitors

Tourism on the island of Saipan in the Western Pacific is gradually picking up after taking a massive hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once a popular option for Japanese tourists, Korean holidaymakers now account for the majority of visitors to this laid-back resort destination. Turquoise seas, white sandy beaches and palm trees—it looks like a picture postcard from a tropical idyll. No wonder the economy of Saipan relies heavily on tourism. Saipan is the largest island and capital of the Northern Marianas, a territory of the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic almost spelled disaster for this rural Western Pacific island. All flights in and out of the Northern Mariana Islands were suspended for nearly a month. The number of visitors dropped by more than 99.9% in the following year compared to the year before, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA). With tourism accounting for about three-quarters of the islands' entire economy, a price freeze was declared to maintain local living standards. Prices of gasoline, kerosene, food, water, and light bulbs were frozen as well as the major construction works. A luxury casino resort developed by Hong Kong-based Imperial Pacific International Holding towers over Garapan, Saipan's main tourist district. It remains unfinished ever since the works were put on hold during the pandemic. With the reopening of the airspace, and direct flights resuming, the number of tourists is recovering. More than 70 percent of visitors come from South Korea, according to MVA. 13,378 arrivals from the country were recorded in May 2024. This article was provided by The Associated Press.