BY KATIE AIZON
Journal Staff
MAJURO, Marshall Islands — The Marshall Islands Office of Commerce, Investment, and Tourism launched the Marshall Islands Pocket Guide in partnership with the South Pacific Pocket Guide.
The Marshall Islands Pocket Guide is a comprehensive digital travel guide providing 136 articles on attractions, culture, local restaurants, recreational businesses, and accommodations. The guide features 101 things to do in the Marshall Islands such as participating in handicraft traditions and traditional canoe building.
In a release, Loretta Lori deBrum, marketing and public relations officer for OCIT, said the new guide is a first for the Marshall Islands. “With the Marshall Islands Pocket Guide, for the first time, we are bringing together trusted information on our attractions, culture, local businesses, accommodations and experiences into one accessible platform,” she said. “This will make it easier for visitors to discover what the Marshall Islands has to offer while giving our tourism operators greater visibility and opportunities to reach new markets. It is an investment in our destination, our people and the long-term growth of our tourism industry. Every visitor deserves a memorable experience, and this guide helps us tell our story with pride and authenticity.”
South Pacific Pocket Guide, New Zealand based online travel guide publisher, team members spent 10 days in the Marshall Islands meeting with over 51 tourism providers and representatives to develop the guide in July.
During their stay, the South Pacific Pocket Guide Team provided social media coverage generating an estimated 948,000 views and 45,000 interactions. The team is expected to return to the Marshall Islands in November for the second stage of the project, expanding coverage for outer atolls, which had been postponed due to intermittent weather conditions during their July visit. South Pacific Pocket Guide reaches approximately 1.63 million readers across 5,175 in-depth articles monthly.
The Marshall Islands Pocket Guide is supported by the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation program and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Marshall Islands OCIT is also working on developing an additional initiative, Trip Carver, which would allow local tourism businesses to receive a free website to accept online tourism bookings to progress in November.
In related news, the Marianas Visitors Authority also issued a Request for Proposal for representation, promotional, and public relations services to strengthen the Northern Mariana Island’s presence in the Japan Market on Sept. 1. Deadline for submission is 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, Chamorro Standard Time.
Interested local firms can still pick up an RFP package from MVA’s office at the Gold Beach Hotel Building in Saipan from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deadline for firms outside of the NMI to submit a notice of intent ended on Sept. 25, an additional requirement alongside completion of an RFP package.
In Palau, August arrivals increased by 602 visitors, with 7,565 visitors compared to 6,963 visitors in July. August marks the highest monthly arrivals for the second half of the year, reflecting a sustained increase in visitors since the lowest record of 5,925 visitors in June. August arrivals recorded 2,398 visitors from China, 1,459 Taiwan; 1,258, Japan; 844, Others which includes additional countries from Asia, North America, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Oceania; 843, USA/Canada; 395, Europe; 300, Australia, and 68, South Korea. Visitor arrivals in August 2026 increased by 1,504 visitors compared to August 2025 visitor arrivals of 6,061, reflecting a 25% increase. mbj
Journal Staff
MAJURO, Marshall Islands — The Marshall Islands Office of Commerce, Investment, and Tourism launched the Marshall Islands Pocket Guide in partnership with the South Pacific Pocket Guide.
The Marshall Islands Pocket Guide is a comprehensive digital travel guide providing 136 articles on attractions, culture, local restaurants, recreational businesses, and accommodations. The guide features 101 things to do in the Marshall Islands such as participating in handicraft traditions and traditional canoe building.
In a release, Loretta Lori deBrum, marketing and public relations officer for OCIT, said the new guide is a first for the Marshall Islands. “With the Marshall Islands Pocket Guide, for the first time, we are bringing together trusted information on our attractions, culture, local businesses, accommodations and experiences into one accessible platform,” she said. “This will make it easier for visitors to discover what the Marshall Islands has to offer while giving our tourism operators greater visibility and opportunities to reach new markets. It is an investment in our destination, our people and the long-term growth of our tourism industry. Every visitor deserves a memorable experience, and this guide helps us tell our story with pride and authenticity.”
South Pacific Pocket Guide, New Zealand based online travel guide publisher, team members spent 10 days in the Marshall Islands meeting with over 51 tourism providers and representatives to develop the guide in July.
During their stay, the South Pacific Pocket Guide Team provided social media coverage generating an estimated 948,000 views and 45,000 interactions. The team is expected to return to the Marshall Islands in November for the second stage of the project, expanding coverage for outer atolls, which had been postponed due to intermittent weather conditions during their July visit. South Pacific Pocket Guide reaches approximately 1.63 million readers across 5,175 in-depth articles monthly.
The Marshall Islands Pocket Guide is supported by the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation program and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Marshall Islands OCIT is also working on developing an additional initiative, Trip Carver, which would allow local tourism businesses to receive a free website to accept online tourism bookings to progress in November.
In related news, the Marianas Visitors Authority also issued a Request for Proposal for representation, promotional, and public relations services to strengthen the Northern Mariana Island’s presence in the Japan Market on Sept. 1. Deadline for submission is 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, Chamorro Standard Time.
Interested local firms can still pick up an RFP package from MVA’s office at the Gold Beach Hotel Building in Saipan from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deadline for firms outside of the NMI to submit a notice of intent ended on Sept. 25, an additional requirement alongside completion of an RFP package.
In Palau, August arrivals increased by 602 visitors, with 7,565 visitors compared to 6,963 visitors in July. August marks the highest monthly arrivals for the second half of the year, reflecting a sustained increase in visitors since the lowest record of 5,925 visitors in June. August arrivals recorded 2,398 visitors from China, 1,459 Taiwan; 1,258, Japan; 844, Others which includes additional countries from Asia, North America, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Oceania; 843, USA/Canada; 395, Europe; 300, Australia, and 68, South Korea. Visitor arrivals in August 2026 increased by 1,504 visitors compared to August 2025 visitor arrivals of 6,061, reflecting a 25% increase. mbj
