April 2016 No. 2 on visitor arrivals

“There’s no surprise the tourism industry continues to break records with another month of visitor arrivals in the books. I commend the Guam Visitors Bureau and the hard working men and women in tourism for a job well done in welcoming our guests and showing off our Håfa Adai spirit in April. They are part of the reason why I proclaimed the month of May, ‘Tourism Month,’ so we can keep this positive momentum going into the PATA Annual Summit, Festival of Pacific Arts and Guam Live International Music Festival.”

 — Governor Eddie Baza Calvo      

 

Events draw more visitors to Guam

Guam welcomed 105,446 visitors in April 2016, a 9.6% growth over last year. Overall, this is the second best April in Guam’s tourism history. April 1997 recorded 105,586 visitors.

"We look forward to breaking more records this year, as we have some very unique and popular events that will bring more people to our island this year," said Governor Eddie Baza Calvo. In a few days, Guam will play host to a number of events that anticipate drawing an international crowd.

The Guam International Marathon helped boost visitor arrivals in the days prior to the GVB signature event on April 10. Arrivals leading up to the 2016 APL Smokin’ Wheels Weekend from April 15-17, 2016 also showed an increase.

Korea arrivals continue its trend of record increases with 36.2% growth when compared to last April. Visitor arrivals from the Philippines also increased by 35.8% thanks to flights from United Airlines, Philippine Airlines and the recently launched flight service from Cebu Pacific Air to Guam.

“Topping over 100,000 visitors for the month of April is a big milestone. We are pleased that our visitor markets are seeing continued diversification and growth, especially with events that draw more people to experience our island paradise during the shoulder months when arrivals are historically low,” said GVB General Manager Nathan Denight.

Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio said the investments made will help promote the knowledge of our island's culture with potential tourists and tourist markets.

"We look forward to welcoming the thousands of visitors and returning island residents that will experience the Guam Museum, PATA Annual Summit, FestPac and Guam Live,” Lt. Governor Tenorio stated.

Summary of arrivals

Guam welcomed 105,446 visitors in April 2016, which is a 9.6% increase when compared to the previous year. Total Fiscal Year-to-Date arrivals climbed 9.2%, while total Calendar Year-to-Date arrivals increased 7.9%.

Japan arrivals declined by 5.9%, while arrivals from Korea increased by 36.2%. GVB continues to work with travel agents and others in the tourism industry to help support the Japan market’s growth as we lead into summer.

Meanwhile, the People’s Republic of China saw a 63.9% increase as the Philippines also grew by 35.8%. Arrivals out of the U.S. mainland rose by 11.8% and Hawaii also increased by 12.9%. Other markets that additionally saw growth and diversification include Europe by 39.7%, Palau by 44.1% and Thailand by 59%.

Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer