BY DANIEL M. PEREZ
Journal Staff
The Guam Visitors Bureau will welcome more than 200 travel trade professionals, media representatives, and digital influencers to the island for the Guam Mega Familiarization Tour, scheduled from Sept. 3 to Sept. 7. The five-day initiative is designed to highlight Guam’s tourism offerings while establishing direct business connections between local commercial operators and international travel distributors.
According to GVB public information officer Jenna Blas, the visiting delegation includes key opinion leaders and industry stakeholders from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia. The bureau is also coordinating with Guam-based digital content creators to support the multi-market event.
The itinerary features a welcome reception, curated island tours, a fiesta-style Labor Day celebration, and access to the Tumon Night Market. A central component of the program is a tabletop marketplace where local hoteliers, tour operators, transportation providers, restaurateurs, and retailers can interface directly with overseas trade representatives who package and sell travel itineraries.
“Bringing over 200 key opinion leaders to Guam is only part of the opportunity,” said Régine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of GVB. “We want our industry partners to showcase their businesses and make meaningful connections that continue long after our guests return home. When people experience Guam for themselves, they gain a much better understanding of what makes our island special.”
Nadine Leon Guerrero, GVB director of global marketing, emphasized that moving industry partners out of formal meeting rooms and directly into the community allows local businesses to present their stories and products directly to frontline sellers.
Following the domestic event, GVB will shift its international marketing push to Japan. Representatives from the bureau will attend the Tourism Expo Japan in Tokyo from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27. Organized by the Japan Association of Travel Agents, the event is one of the region’s premier travel tradeshows. The theme for the 2026 exposition, “The Changing Nature of Travel,” will focus on evolving consumer values, regional tourism initiatives, and emerging technological trends shaping the global travel market. mbj
Journal Staff
The Guam Visitors Bureau will welcome more than 200 travel trade professionals, media representatives, and digital influencers to the island for the Guam Mega Familiarization Tour, scheduled from Sept. 3 to Sept. 7. The five-day initiative is designed to highlight Guam’s tourism offerings while establishing direct business connections between local commercial operators and international travel distributors.
According to GVB public information officer Jenna Blas, the visiting delegation includes key opinion leaders and industry stakeholders from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia. The bureau is also coordinating with Guam-based digital content creators to support the multi-market event.
The itinerary features a welcome reception, curated island tours, a fiesta-style Labor Day celebration, and access to the Tumon Night Market. A central component of the program is a tabletop marketplace where local hoteliers, tour operators, transportation providers, restaurateurs, and retailers can interface directly with overseas trade representatives who package and sell travel itineraries.
“Bringing over 200 key opinion leaders to Guam is only part of the opportunity,” said Régine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of GVB. “We want our industry partners to showcase their businesses and make meaningful connections that continue long after our guests return home. When people experience Guam for themselves, they gain a much better understanding of what makes our island special.”
Nadine Leon Guerrero, GVB director of global marketing, emphasized that moving industry partners out of formal meeting rooms and directly into the community allows local businesses to present their stories and products directly to frontline sellers.
Following the domestic event, GVB will shift its international marketing push to Japan. Representatives from the bureau will attend the Tourism Expo Japan in Tokyo from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27. Organized by the Japan Association of Travel Agents, the event is one of the region’s premier travel tradeshows. The theme for the 2026 exposition, “The Changing Nature of Travel,” will focus on evolving consumer values, regional tourism initiatives, and emerging technological trends shaping the global travel market. mbj
