Rota, Northern Mariana Islands — In conjunction with Rota Marathon 2026, the Marianas Tourism Education Council (MTEC) and the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) visited schools on “The Friendly Island” to talk tourism last Friday (Jan. 30).
Representatives of MTEC and the MVA visited students of Sinapalo Elementary and Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr./Sr. High to share about the Marianas’ leading economic driver, the industry’s impact on daily life, and how youth can contribute to its success, even at a young age.
The annual outreach initiative reaches 5th, 7th, and 10th grade students with interactive presentations and activities.
“It’s so engaging, how you advertise between Saipan and Rota, ” 4th grade teacher Lorna Calvo-King told the presenters, referring to the mock marketing battle staged with snacks to demonstrate destination competition. ““I think this is a great presentation. Every year you guys come back and you add more to it. It is very amazing.”
Later that day, the team engaged students at the junior/senior high schools, where several students had already signed up to join Rota Marathon 2026 the following day, an MVA signature event that attracted over 100 registrations from Japan, Korea, USA, Guam, and the Marianas.
MTEC and the MVA aim to visit every public school in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota every year. 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 made to the community by the visitor industry; and to instill, improve, and promote the “Hafa Adai-Tirow” hospitality spirit throughout the island community.
Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Community Projects Specialist Jack Aranda, left, presents to 4th graders at Sinapalo Elementary School in Rota, Marianas on Jan. 30, 2026. The MVA and the Marianas Tourism Education Council conducted their annual outreach at the school to educate students on the Marianas’ primary economic driver, tourism.
Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Community Projects Specialist Jack Aranda, right, challenges 7th grader Isaiah Taimanao to a marketing duel at Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr./Sr. High School in Rota, Marianas on Jan. 30, 2026. The MVA and the Marianas Tourism Education Council conducted their annual outreach at the school to educate students on the Marianas’ primary economic driver, tourism.
Seventh graders at Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr./Sr. High School welcome Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Board Member Dwayne Maratita, second left, and other representatives of the MVA and the Marianas Tourism Education Council for educational outreach at the school on Jan. 30, 2026.
Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Community Projects Specialist Sherman Santos, far right, joins 10th graders at Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr./Sr. High School for a photo after MVA and the Marianas Tourism Education Council conducted their annual educational outreach at the school on Jan. 30, 2026.
4th graders at Sinapalo Elementary welcome Marianas Visitors Authority and the Marianas Tourism Education Council for their educational outreach at the school on Jan. 30, 2026.
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 and T’Way provide 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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