Saipan – The CNMI’s ailing tourism industry can get a big boost from heritage tourism, according to Dr. Jennifer McKinnon of Flinders University in Australia.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines heritage tourism as traveling to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.
In a report from the Saipan Tribune, McKinnon said heritage tourism on Saipan could be developed through the various existing heritage trail sites.
She said an indigenous heritage trail would be fantastic to capture the indigenous maritime lifeways that are in the Commonwealth.
Since she started coming out to the CNMI in 2007, McKinnon said she has worked on some 25 to 30 underwater sites.
McKinnon, who serves as director of Studies of the university’s Department of Archaeology, was on Saipan to hold a presentation on underwater historical trails at the American Memorial Park.
