GVB president meets Palau president to discuss potential tourism packages
Former Gov. Carl Gutierrez, president and CEO of the Guam Visitors Bureau, led a team to Palau to meet with President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. and tourism officials to discuss opportunities to partner together to promote tourism in Palau and Guam.
They discussed working together on tour packages that would potentially route tourists to Guam and then Palau, or vice versa, from Asian markets.
Palau and Guam both rely on tourism as primary economic engines. GVB expects tourism numbers to reach about 60% of pre-COVID-19 this year but that requires aggressive action to attract tourists. That's where Gutierrez hopes to work with Palau, which has seen increased visitor numbers. According to Palau Visitors Authority, Palau had a total of 4,427 visitors in January 2024, marking a 10% rise from December 2023 and a significant 122% increase from January 2023. China led the arrivals, comprising 34%, followed by USA/Canada at 21%, and Taiwan at 18%. Japan's arrival numbers have steadily grown since November 2023, now accounting for 12% of arrivals. Europe, South Korea, and others collectively represent 15% of arrivals.
The Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association kicked off the Pacific Hotel and Restaurant Expo 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Guam, convening more than 60 vendors, local business leaders, and international trade partners to showcase hospitality innovations and forge commercial connections.
The Society for Human Resources Management Guam Chapter hosted the 2026 SHRM Guam Annual Conference on Aug. 14. During the conference, changes in the priorities of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission were highlighted.
The 38th Guam Legislature passed a $1.42 billion executive spending plan for fiscal 2027 in a 13 to two vote on Aug. 18, clearing the path to roll back the island’s Business Privilege Tax to 4% while maintaining higher assessment rates on defense construction projects.
