Editing Northern Mariana Islands (section)

===Tourism===
[[File:ManagahaIsland.jpg|thumb|Looking at Saipan from Managaha]]
[[File:Micro Beach (530316786).jpg|thumb|Micro Beach view]]
[[File:Northern Marianas Islands Museum.JPG|thumb|Northern Marianas Islands Museum]]
[[File:Ship1435 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg|thumb|Pagan Island's natural stone arch]]
Tourism is popular; several hundred thousand people visit the CNMI in a typical year, and one of the highest years was 1997 when over 760,000 people visited the islands.<ref name="Team">{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Travel |date=July 16, 2019 |title=Northern Mariana Islands Travel Guide |url=https://www.outlooktravelmag.com/travel-guides/63-northern-mariana-islands |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=Outlook Travel Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref> 

Tourism was strong in 2019, comprising visitors mainly from China and South Korea. Tourism dropped during the pandemic, and has been slow to recover since it ended. Direct flights from Japan have decreased, and the political issues between the US and China have stopped all flights from China (except from Hong Kong) to Saipan. CNMI hopes to attract tourists again from Japan, requiring direct flights to increase between Saipan and Japanese cities.<ref name=KyodoNews2024>{{cite news |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/10/b953c2ee10aa-focus-northern-marianas-seeks-to-revive-tourism-amid-stopped-china-flights.html?phrase=Yoko%20Kamikawa&words= |title=FOCUS: Northern Marianas seeks to revive tourism amid stopped China flights |quote=At the peak of the tourism industry in fiscal 1997, over 450,000 out of more than 760,000 visitors were from Japan owing to many direct flights then from Tokyo, Osaka and other Japanese cities. |work=[[Kyodo News]] |date=October 6, 2024 |access-date=October 30, 2024 }}</ref> The market in 2023 and 2024 for tourism is about half the 2019, pre-pandemic level, relying on tourists from South Korea. “The number of tourists recovered to over 194,600 in fiscal 2023 from some 5,370 in fiscal 2021 and about 69,530 in fiscal 2022 thanks to the return of South Koreans, according to the MVA data.” Some travel experts suggest that CNMI change its image from the low cost destination to a slightly fancier destination.<ref name=KyodoNews2024 />

Activities known to be popular are jungle hikes, golfing, diving, and historical sites such as prehistoric stones.<ref name="Team"/> One of the golf courses was designed by professional champion golfer [[Greg Norman]].<ref name="Team"/> A tourism hot spot is Managaha Island, which must be accessed by ferry and has various [[Barbecue|bbq]] vendors, [[List of water sports|water sport]] activities, and has wide sandy beaches surrounding a tropical forest.<ref name="iexplore.com">{{Cite web |title=Northern Mariana Islands — Attractions |url=https://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/australia-and-south-pacific/northern-mariana-islands/attractions |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=Iexplore.com}}</ref> 

Tourists from the U.S. do not need a visa, while those from other countries that qualify for ESTA or the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program can usually stay for up to 45 or 90 days.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESTA application and traveling to Saipan |url=https://esta-center.com/en/saipan/index.html |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=ESTA Online Center |language=ja}}</ref>

Noted tourist destinations in the CNMI include:<ref name="iexplore.com"/>
*Managaha Island (100-acre tropical beach island visited by ferry)
*[[American Memorial Park]]
*Micro Beach, a 1&nbsp;km beach on the west side, so it is possible to see the sunset.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest travel itineraries for Micro Beach in October (updated in 2023), Micro Beach reviews, Micro Beach address and opening hours, popular attractions, hotels, and restaurants near Micro Beach |url=https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/saipan/micro-beach-10559655/ |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=TRIP.COM |language=en-XX}}</ref>
*San Juan beach, with a unique stone formation that is known for looking a bit like a crocodile.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Things to Do in Northern Mariana Islands in October (Updated 2023) {{!}} Trip.com Attractions |url=https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/northern-mariana-islands-788/tourist-attractions/ |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=TRIP.COM |language=en-XX}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest travel itineraries for San Juan Beach in October (updated in 2023), San Juan Beach reviews, San Juan Beach address and opening hours, popular attractions, hotels, and restaurants near San Juan Beach |url=https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/saipan/san-juan-beach-91406/?locale=en-XX&curr=USD |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=TRIP.COM |language=en-XX}}</ref>
*Rad/Ladder/Coral Beach on the southern part of Saipan is about 100 yards long and is mostly coral fragments. It is popular for local barbeques and beach running.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest travel itineraries for Ladder Beach in October (updated in 2023), Ladder Beach reviews, Ladder Beach address and opening hours, popular attractions, hotels, and restaurants near Ladder Beach |url=https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/saipan/ladder-beach-18576539/?locale=en-XX&curr=USD |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=TRIP.COM |language=en-XX}}</ref>
*Obyan Beach is a long south beach known for its colorful underwater life.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest travel itineraries for Obyan Beach in October (updated in 2023), Obyan Beach reviews, Obyan Beach address and opening hours, popular attractions, hotels, and restaurants near Obyan Beach |url=https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/saipan/obyan-beach-18692015/?locale=en-XX&curr=USD |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=TRIP.COM |language=en-XX}}</ref>
*Taga Beach (on Tinian Island) is the largest beach known for its sunset views.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest travel itineraries for Taga Beach in October (updated in 2023), Taga Beach reviews, Taga Beach address and opening hours, popular attractions, hotels, and restaurants near Taga Beach |url=https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/tinian/taga-beach-87885/?locale=en-XX&curr=USD |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=TRIP.COM |language=en-XX}}</ref>
*[[Latte Stones]] Quarry (an ancient stone quarry of the Chamorro people)
*[[Mount Tapochau]] (highest point with views of Saipan), this site is known for its views, and it is possible to see other islands on a clear day and is topped by a statue of Jesus Christ.<ref name="Mount Tapochau">{{Cite web |title=Mount Tapochau |url=https://www.afar.com/places/mount-tapochao-capitol-hill |access-date=October 10, 2023 |website=AFAR Media |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Kalabera Cave]] (features ancient cave drawings)
*Last Command Post (The final Japanese command post in the Battle of Saipan)
*Bird Island Sanctuary beach (beach by Bird Island sanctuary), faces east. There is also a Bird Island observatory to the south for observing the birds)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bird Island Beach |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bird-island-beach-1 |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref>
*Forbidden Island, this small island connected to Saipan, is connected at low tide and can be hiked onto, but the water separates it at high tide. There is a lookout near this small island.<ref name="TRIP.COM" />
*[[Japanese Lighthouse (Garapan, Saipan)|Japanese Lighthouse]] (a lighthouse built in 1934 when the Northern Marianas were in the Japanese Mandate, currently a cafe with island views)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Japanese Lighthouse |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/old-japanese-lighthouse |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref>
*[[NMI Museum of History and Culture]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=MVA |date=October 6, 2021 |title=NMI celebrates World Tourism Day |url=https://www.mvariety.com/business/business_news/nmi-celebrates-world-tourism-day/article_4e7faec6-259a-11ec-941e-43043fffabfe.html |access-date=October 19, 2023 |website=Marianas Variety News & Views |language=en}}</ref>
*The Grotto, on Saipan, is a large underwater limestone cavern.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Grotto |url=https://www.afar.com/places/the-grotto-saipan |access-date=October 16, 2023 |website=AFAR Media |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Birth tourism]], became more popular in the 2010s century with mothers coming from Asia to give birth, thus giving the baby a chance to be a U.S. Citizen.<ref name="Coleman" />