How do sustainability and tourism intersect? That was a key topic of discussion during Day 4 of the University of Guam’s Conference on Island Sustainability. 

The forum is in full swing at the Hyatt in Tumon. A key conversation taking place this morning was on Solutions for the Future of Tourism and the Economy.  Though the pandemic and Typhoon Mawar took the wind out of tourism's sails, it’s not stopping island communities from charting a new course together and one that goes beyond sustainability.

Guam Visitors Bureau president/CEO Regine Biscoe Lee told KUAM News, "We are kind of on the precipice of something really big, I’m feeling. As much of it feels like a weakness and we’re a little bit challenged at the moment, it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to reimagine what regenerative tourism can mean in the way that we increase local participation in this industry."

Island neighbors traversed the ocean for the 16th Annual CIS, as Hawaii Green Growth executive director Celeste Connors shared, "Really, what is tourism all about than an opportunity for us to connect."

And from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' 500 Sails’ co- founder Pedru Perez, who shares about the restoration of traditional canoe sailing in the Marianas.  "When a tourist is on there, they get to talk to a local person. They’re not talking to a service person who maybe came from a different country. They’re hearing CHamoru being spoken. The Carolinian language is spoken. It also trains our next generation of mariners," he said.

Guam Unique Merchandise & Art executive director Monica Guzman emphasized the importance of being unique in our culture, saying, "It’s about bringing the community together and how do we restore tourism, how do we restore our cultural connection among other? And that’s from the ground up– building it from the ground up."

The conference will continue until the weekend. On Friday, the president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Dr. Hilda Heine, is expected to make her keynote speech.