BY DANIEL M. PEREZ
Journal Staff
The Guam Visitors Bureau is sharpening its destination marketing initiatives, expanding overseas trade partnerships, and launching interactive digital data tools to counter ongoing declines in visitor arrivals from primary Asian source markets, GVB leadership announced during its quarterly membership meeting on Sept. 9 at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa.
Régine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of GVB, reported that visitor arrivals for July totaled 44,256, representing a 37% decrease compared to the same month last year. Lee attributed the decline primarily to soft performance in South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, high airfares, constrained seat capacity, and a weakened won continue to erode outbound travel demand, while Japan faced elevated trip costs, peak-season pricing, and tropical weather disruptions.
However, Lee said that August arrival trends showed signs of moderation, down approximately 23% through Aug. 18, aided by slight growth from Taiwan and the U.S. mainland. Fiscal year-to-date arrivals stood at approximately 628,000 visitors, down 2% overall compared to the prior fiscal period, with a 6% gain in Japanese arrivals helping offset South Korean contraction, Lee said.
To assist commercial stakeholders with market intelligence, she announced that GVB will launch online data dashboards by the end of September. The platform will grant members streamlined access to metrics covering arrivals, hotel lodging, visitor demographics, points of interest, exit surveys, and economic impact data.
Highlighting recent promotional programs, Lee detailed the outcome of the Guam MegaFam tour, which hosted more than 240 travel trade professionals, media representatives, digital influencers, and key opinion leaders from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The itinerary included a business-to-business trade show at LeoPalace Resort Guam, cultural site visits, and attendance at the Tumon Night Market and Labor Day celebrations.
Lee confirmed that GVB plans to establish the MegaFam tour as an annual fixture to solidify trade ties and boost earned media visibility.
In South Korea, GVB is conducting targeted trade promotions with Jin Air, HanaTour, Mode Tour, and other major agencies. From Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, GVB is streaming a mandatory 30-second non-skippable video advertisement across Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi networks on Korean carriers, reaching an estimated 1.6 million passengers across 89 aircraft, Lee explained. GVB also partnered with Travel Wallet and Visa on cashback campaigns and out-of-home advertising in Seoul's Dongdaemun and Cheongdam districts ahead of a travel roadshow in Busan and Seoul scheduled for Oct. 12 through Oct. 14.
For the Japanese market, GVB selected three junior student reporters from more than 500 applicants through Mainichi Shimbun to cover educational travel opportunities on island. GVB will also participate in the Japan Association of Travel Agents , also known as JATA, Tourism EXPO Japan in Tokyo from Sept. 26 through Sept. 29 with 11 exhibitor booths, featuring appearances by cast members of TV Tokyo's Guam-focused program, local food trucks, and cultural performers.
Internationally, GVB will showcase its meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition offerings at IMEX America in Las Vegas from Oct. 13 through Oct. 15, followed by ITB Asia in Singapore from Oct. 21 through Oct. 23.
Regarding destination management, GVB maintenance crews collected 150 tons of general and green waste between October and July across Tumon and Hagåtña, including 94 tons during post-typhoon cleanups. Lee urged local motorists to observe the 25 mph speed limit in Tumon to protect pedestrian safety. "We don't control the storm, but we control how we move through it," Lee said, emphasizing GVB's commitment to driving long-term market recovery. mbj
Journal Staff
The Guam Visitors Bureau is sharpening its destination marketing initiatives, expanding overseas trade partnerships, and launching interactive digital data tools to counter ongoing declines in visitor arrivals from primary Asian source markets, GVB leadership announced during its quarterly membership meeting on Sept. 9 at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa.
Régine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of GVB, reported that visitor arrivals for July totaled 44,256, representing a 37% decrease compared to the same month last year. Lee attributed the decline primarily to soft performance in South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, high airfares, constrained seat capacity, and a weakened won continue to erode outbound travel demand, while Japan faced elevated trip costs, peak-season pricing, and tropical weather disruptions.
However, Lee said that August arrival trends showed signs of moderation, down approximately 23% through Aug. 18, aided by slight growth from Taiwan and the U.S. mainland. Fiscal year-to-date arrivals stood at approximately 628,000 visitors, down 2% overall compared to the prior fiscal period, with a 6% gain in Japanese arrivals helping offset South Korean contraction, Lee said.
To assist commercial stakeholders with market intelligence, she announced that GVB will launch online data dashboards by the end of September. The platform will grant members streamlined access to metrics covering arrivals, hotel lodging, visitor demographics, points of interest, exit surveys, and economic impact data.
Highlighting recent promotional programs, Lee detailed the outcome of the Guam MegaFam tour, which hosted more than 240 travel trade professionals, media representatives, digital influencers, and key opinion leaders from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The itinerary included a business-to-business trade show at LeoPalace Resort Guam, cultural site visits, and attendance at the Tumon Night Market and Labor Day celebrations.
Lee confirmed that GVB plans to establish the MegaFam tour as an annual fixture to solidify trade ties and boost earned media visibility.
In South Korea, GVB is conducting targeted trade promotions with Jin Air, HanaTour, Mode Tour, and other major agencies. From Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, GVB is streaming a mandatory 30-second non-skippable video advertisement across Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi networks on Korean carriers, reaching an estimated 1.6 million passengers across 89 aircraft, Lee explained. GVB also partnered with Travel Wallet and Visa on cashback campaigns and out-of-home advertising in Seoul's Dongdaemun and Cheongdam districts ahead of a travel roadshow in Busan and Seoul scheduled for Oct. 12 through Oct. 14.
For the Japanese market, GVB selected three junior student reporters from more than 500 applicants through Mainichi Shimbun to cover educational travel opportunities on island. GVB will also participate in the Japan Association of Travel Agents , also known as JATA, Tourism EXPO Japan in Tokyo from Sept. 26 through Sept. 29 with 11 exhibitor booths, featuring appearances by cast members of TV Tokyo's Guam-focused program, local food trucks, and cultural performers.
Internationally, GVB will showcase its meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition offerings at IMEX America in Las Vegas from Oct. 13 through Oct. 15, followed by ITB Asia in Singapore from Oct. 21 through Oct. 23.
Regarding destination management, GVB maintenance crews collected 150 tons of general and green waste between October and July across Tumon and Hagåtña, including 94 tons during post-typhoon cleanups. Lee urged local motorists to observe the 25 mph speed limit in Tumon to protect pedestrian safety. "We don't control the storm, but we control how we move through it," Lee said, emphasizing GVB's commitment to driving long-term market recovery. mbj
