MARIANAS VISITORS AUTHORITY

News Release

Tourism is Everybody’s Business!

PERRY JOHN P. TENORIO

MVA MANAGING DIRECTOR

For Immediate Release-March 23, 2011

For further information, contact:

Perry John P. Tenorio, Managing Director

Marianas Visitors Authority

Telephone: (670) 664-3200/3201 Facsimile: (670) 664-3237

www.mymarianas.com

13th Annual Taste of the Marianas Returns in May

Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) – The month-long 13th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival and Beer Garden returns to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, for back-to-back weekends of food, fun, and festivities.

Hundreds of visitors and residents are expected to gather for the annual event, which kicks-off on May 7, 2011, and will continue every Saturday evening throughout the month at American Memorial Park on Saipan.

Local hotels and restaurants will offer fine fare at reasonable fare, with most dinner items at $6 or less. Throughout the evening, live entertainment was offered on the main stage while secondary entertainment and competitions will take place at the secondary stage.

Prizes and prestige will be on the line throughout the month during the Chefs Competition (May 28), pitting hotel junior chefs in a cook-off highlight a select cut of Certified Angus Beef and local ingredients. Other competitions will include the Hotdog Eating Competition (May 7) and Bartenders’ Cocktail Competition (May 21).

Local arts and crafts will also be on sale. Celebrated in conjunction with May Tourism Month, the festival will also give attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest NMI tourism trends through the My Marianas slideshow presentation.

The MVA is also encouraging residents to prepare for other Tourism Month must-do, demonstrating their island pride and culture by wearing island attire or traditional wear during Hafa Adai-Tirow Spirit Islandwear Day each Friday. Facebook fans of “Hafa Adai Tirow Spirit Islandwear in the Northern Mariana Islands” who post pictures in May have a chance to win Taste of the Marianas tokens. One randomly selected fan with an islandwear photo will receive $10 in tokens each week.

For more information about Tourism Month activities, contact the Marianas Visitors Authority at 1.670.664.3200/1 or e-mail Ed Diaz of the MVA at .

The Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota are a chain of low coral and volcanic islands in the West Pacific, offering a friendly, fun and fantastic vacation in paradise. They are an excellent destination for families, adventure and sports-minded travelers, as well as business people looking for a tropical stopover when traveling between Asia and North America, and adventurous travelers looking for new travel discoveries. The Mariana Islands, three hours travel from most cities in Japan, are served from Japan by Northwest Airlines. From Korea, Asiana Airlines provides daily direct flights from Seoul and four times a week from Busan. For more information visit www.mymarianas.com.

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