It is reported that Chinese tourists traveling to U.S. increase 23% annually. Recently, traveling routes to Saipan, the capital of Northern Mariana Islands, gain great popularity in China, leading to a high demand for flights. Chinese airlines race to open direct flights to Saipan in response to the booming business opportunity.

Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd has launched direct flights between Shanghai and Saipan in April, 2011. One month later, the Chengdu-based carrier opened Chengdu-Guangzhou-Saipan service. Both have a load factor of over 90%.

Air China Limited announced it will resume twice-weekly direct flights linking Beijing and Saipan from December, using a Boeing 777 with 332 seats. A single trip only takes five and a half hours. The Beijing-based carrier targets the potential of U.S. tourism market and aims to occupy a lion's share of overseas travel in 2012.

Northern Mariana Islands are U.S. territories including 14 islands distributed in the west Pacific. Saipan has become the first choice for newly-married couples in mainland China to celebrate their honeymoon.

"U.S. is an important passenger source market for China. The total number of tourists traveling to and from the two nations is expected to reach about 5 million by 2015. With 574 million Chinese citizens travelling abroad last year, China has become the world's third largest country in terms of outbound travel." said Zhu Shanzhong, Vice Director of China Tourism Administration.

Statistics show that Northern Mariana Islands received 45,000 Chinese tourists in 2010.

With an increasing number of Chinese flights to U.S., tourism in Northern Mariana Islands will be booming. The number of Chinese tourists traveling to Northern Mariana Islands is expected to increase 10% this year, and the figure will rise to 30% by 2012.