$60M investment needed for tourism recovery plan

What is the state of Guam's tourism industry four years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic? 

While the global tourism sector is reportedly tracking towards 100% full recovery by the end of 2024, local numbers are still lagging. 

“We have been recovering, but very slowly. I think our trip to Korea, Japan and Taiwan has sparked a lot of excitement and more frequency to provide air travel to Guam,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. 

Governor Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio led Guam Visitor Bureau's airline mission in Asia recently. 

The Governor said while there is demand, one roadblock is the frequency of flights. 

“The airline CEO’s I spoke to in South Korea, their concern is the inventory of airplanes. They have over the last year or two years ordered airplanes from Boeing but haven’t been getting those orders because of issues with Boeing. So hopefully moving forward, they can get those airplanes,” said Leon Guerrero. 

GVB's Tourism Recovery Committee Head and Board Vice Chairman Joaquin Cook said it will take an investment of $60 million to get back on track to pre-pandemic levels.

“The ask of $60 million, a lot of that goes into improvements here on island like updating bathrooms, updating public spaces as well as some other programs to help businesses refurbish and upgrade their product,” said Cook. 

Cook presented the two year tourism recovery plan to GVB Board and management Thursday. 

He said the plan identifies four major challenges: airline seats, destination improvement, marketing and community support. 

“In order to reverse the trend that it’s going on, we need a big push right now. Otherwise, we can see a continuous deterioration in our tourism industry and the hole will be bigger, causing a larger expense and bigger effort to reverse it,” added Cook. 

All industries are feeling the downturn in tourism, according to Guam Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ernie Galito. 

“o we realize that not only has the Guam Visitors Bureau trying to revive tourism, but I think as a community, everybody has to pitch in,” said Galito. 

The four-year ‘tourism trough’ impounded by a staffing shortage he said affects the destination experience. 

“We aren’t really able to deliver that true ‘Hafa Adai’ spirit experience. So we need to fortify that. We need to try to work with the government and the private sector in order to fulfil that aspiration,” added Galito. 

Several recovery efforts are already in the works. 

Ahead of United Airlines’ Taiwan-Guam direct flights launching next year, GVB hosted a Guam and Taiwan mega mixer at the Dusit Thani Resort Guam Friday, according to GVB Spokesperson Lisa Bordallo.

“With the new flights coming in from Taiwan, we’ve invited 25 travel agents, media and social media influencers to come and visit Guam to familiarize themselves. Today, they are meeting all our industry executives, our hotels, our experiences, our tours so they see what Guam has to offer and go back to Taiwan and encourage all their people to travel to Guam,” said Bordallo. 

Plus a new partnership with Korea's leading credit card company Shinhan Card aims to bring more visitors to Guam with airline incentives. 

“So what they are doing is they’re saying ‘if you use your card while in Guam, you get one free hotel stay and a 30% discount on food and beverages for whichever restaurant you go to that is in partnership with them,” said Leon Guerrero.