Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — The Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) reports that visitor arrivals to the Marianas totaled 4,840 in July 2026, a 66% decrease compared to 14,365 visitors in July 2025. In July the destination continued to recover from April’s Super Typhoon Sinlaku. International flights began resuming in late June, with leisure travel gradually increasing.
South Korea
Visitor arrivals from the top source market of South Korea totaled 1,574 in July 2026 compared to 11,015 arrivals last July. Jeju Air resumed direct Seoul-Saipan flights on June 20 and will continue its 4x weekly flights to the destination through March 2027. Despite an unfavorable currency exchange rate, the destination maintains high recognition in the market, with Marianas “Far From Ordinary” being named Global Tourism Campaign of the Year at the highly respected Brand of the Year Awards 2026 this month in Seoul. More than 770,000 Korean consumers participated in this year’s voting. To celebrate the award, MVA Korea hosted a promotional event on its official social media channels, drawing 2,090 participants.
Japan Market
Visitor arrivals from Japan were 54% lower at 248 arrivals in July 2026 compared to 534 in July 2025. However, despite the temporary suspension of direct flights, July arrivals grew significantly compared to only 48 visitors in June as Japanese travelers sought to reach the destination connecting via Guam (83%) and Seoul (17%). United Airlines resumed its three weekly direct flights from Tokyo Narita to Saipan on August 2.
China Market
Arrivals from China skyrocketed 505% in July to 1,149 visitors compared to 190 arrivals last year, as Hong Kong Airlines resumed Hong Kong-Saipan service on July 12. Before the pandemic, visitor arrivals from China comprised about 44% of Marianas tourism. The destination receives most Chinese visitors under the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP) administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. EVS-TAP is a restricted sub-program of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program that allows prescreened nationals of the People's Republic of China to travel to the U.S. destination without a visa under specified conditions.
Other Markets
Additional visitor arrivals in July included:
- United States: 1,105 visitors
- Guam: 387 visitors
- Other Markets (Combined): 377 visitors
Direct air service is provided from Guam daily by United Airlines. Philippine Airlines has announced they will resume direct flights from Manila in October 2026.
