Koror- Tourism arrivals in the tiny nation of Palau continue to drop dramatically, with forecasts signaling visitors for 2019 will fall under 100,000 for the first time since 2011. Tourists at Palau's famous Rock Island. Photo by Kambes Kesolei The latest economic review by the Graduate School USA, describes the situation as a ‘crisis’. It says declining arrivals are expected to continue through the fiscal year 2019, with an expected drop by 25 percent to less than 90,000.

Koror- The weak visitor arrivals for 2018 have put a strain on Palau’s economy with all tourism-related revenues showing a slowdown. Minister of Finance Elbuchel Sadang told the media at a press conference Wednesday that all the tourism-related revenue registered declines. Asian tourists sightseeing on foot. Photo by Ongerung Kambes Kesolei “There’s really an effect to the tourism-related revenue,” Sadang said.The downturn in the tourism industry is having an impact on the a

Koror—Palau While Guam, CNMI and the Republic of the Marshall Islands have embraced cryptocurrency, Palau is cautious about welcoming it with open arms and for good reason. What could be a promising technology has been tainted by a suspicious company which offers to combine online gambling and cryptocurrency, with the island nation as the launching pad for this purported industry. It also claims to have a plan to build a brick-and-mortar casino in Palau. Casino is illegal in