Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) – The Marianas Tourism Education Council (MTEC) and the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) have started a new school year of bringing their “Tourism Is Everybody’s Business” message to students, highlighting the importance of the visitor industry and the role everyone can play in making the Marianas a welcoming, memorable, and Far From Ordinary destination.
As part of the annual tourism education outreach initiative, presentations were made this month to students at Tanapag Middle School, Francisco M. Sablan Middle School, Chacha Oceanview Middle School, William S. Reyes Elementary School, Garapan Elementary School, Oleai Elementary School, and Koblerville Elementary School.
The outreach focuses on helping young people understand how tourism is a community effort that touches everyday life in the Marianas, including their own families.
“Tourism really is everybody’s business,” said MTEC Chairwoman Vicky Benavente. “Every person in our community has an opportunity to make a difference, whether they work directly in tourism or simply welcome a visitor, share our culture, keep our islands beautiful, or show pride in where we live. When our young people understand that, they become an important part of the future of tourism in the Marianas.”
The annual initiative reaches students at key grade levels with age-appropriate lessons designed to build awareness of the visitor industry and encourage students to see themselves as ambassadors for the islands.
MVA Acting Managing Director Martin Duenas said introducing students at a young age to the Marianas Far From Ordinary brand helps build a foundation for how students see their own home and share it with others.
“The Far From Ordinary brand reflects our people, culture, landscapes, and warm hospitality that make the Marianas unique,” Duenas said. “By introducing our students to this message today, we are helping the next generation understand what makes their home special and inspiring them to become the future stewards, storytellers, entrepreneurs, and ambassadors of the Marianas.”
MTEC and MVA aim to visit every public school on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota each year as part of their ongoing tourism education efforts.
MTEC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is threefold: to foster community understanding and support of the visitor industry; to educate the public, especially school students, about the value, social benefits, and economic contributions of the visitor industry; and to instill, improve, and promote the “Håfa Adai-Tirow” hospitality spirit throughout the island community.
5th grade students of G.T. Camacho Elementary School learned about tourism and their role in it from the Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority on Sept. 23, 2026, in San Roque, Saipan.
Marianas Visitors Authority Community Projects Coordinator Sherman Santos engages 5th grade students of William S. Reyes Elementary School with tourism questions on Sept. 25, 2026. The Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority conducted educational outreach at the school in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan.
Marianas Visitors Authority Community Projects Coordinator Jack Aranda quizzes 5th grade students of Garapan Elementary School. The Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority conducted educational outreach at the school in Garapan, Saipan on Sept. 25, 2026.
7th grade students of Tanapag Middle School share their observations about the new Marianas Far From Ordinary logo design during educational outreach by the Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority on Sept. 11, 2026, in Tanapag, Saipan.
7th grade students of Chacha Oceanview Middle School learn about tourism and their role in it from the Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority on Sept. 23, 2026, in Kagman, Saipan.
Students at Oleai Elementary School collaborate on answering a quiz about tourism during the educational outreach of the Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority at the school on Sept. 28, 2026, in Oleai, Saipan.
Students of Koblerville Elementary School learn about their neighboring island of Tinian during the Marianas Tourism Education Council and Marianas Visitors Authority educational outreach on Sept. 29, 2026. The school is temporarily holding classes at William S. Reyes Elementary School campus Chalan Kanoa, Saipan.
The Marianas is an archipelago of 14 islands - including Saipan, Tinian, and Rota - in the Western Pacific. The Marianas are home to indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people, as well as over 20 different ethnicities from around the world who live and work in this harmonious tropical paradise. Ancient latte stone limestone monoliths, traditional nature-based ocean navigation not reliant on modern technology, and a culture seasoned by East and West influences are just a few of the experiences found in The Marianas, where pristine sea, sand, and skies are only a 3–4-hour flight from major Asian gateway cities. From Korea Republic, Jeju Air provides direct flights to Saipan from Seoul-Incheon. United Airlines flies three times a week from Tokyo-Narita, Japan, and daily from Guam. Hong Kong Airlines flies twice weekly from Hong Kong, China. Interisland travel between Saipan, Tinian, and Rota is provided by Star Marianas Air and Micronesian Air Connection Services. For more information on the Marianas, visit www.mymarianas.com, Facebook/VisitTheMarianas, or Instagram @themarianas.
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