PRESS RELEASE: HANMI occupancy 24% in April 2025

“This precipitous drop in visitor arrivals is due to the loss over the last year several flights - Asiana Airlines last July and now one of two daily flights by Jeju Air and the temporary suspension of daily flights by T’way, all impacting our top source market of Korea,” said HANMI Chairman Dennis Seo. “And without the EVS-TAP program - which has not been processed by U.S. Customs & Border Protection since early April - we have also lost our twice weekly flight from Hong Kong, a temporary suspension that we hear could quickly become permanent if EVS-TAP is not reinstated in the next couple weeks.”

Seo said the economic situation is dire after five years of low visitor arrivals and hotel occupancy since the pandemic.

“The economy of the commonwealth is reaching critical mass, as we’ve experienced with recent mass layoffs and business closures,” said Seo. “However, HANMI member hotels will continue to work collaboratively with the Marianas Visitors Authority and other partners to offer our best possible support to stabilize existing flights with current carriers and negotiate commitments for additional flights in the winter season or earlier, if possible. What we really need is a significant investment of funding and full local and federal support to lift The Marianas out of this situation.”

Hotels included in HANMI’s monthly statistical report are Aqua Resort Club, Aquarius Beach Tower, Century Hotel, Coral Ocean Resort, GrandVrio Resort Saipan, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, Kensington Hotel Saipan, LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, Saipan World Resort, and Surfrider Resort Hotel.

The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands was established in 1985 as a professional forum for the hospitality industry of The Marianas.