August 2016 best month in visitor arrivals; Japan market sees an increase

“What an exciting time to witness history being made in tourism every single month of 2016. Hard work produces excellent results and that’s what the Guam Visitors Bureau and its partners do on a daily basis for the people of Guam. Recording the best month in visitor arrivals shows how tourism works for our community and supports our quality of life. I’m proud of the achievements made in our number one industry and congratulate tourism’s finest on a job well done.”

— Governor Eddie Baza Calvo

 

August is best month in tourism history

More than 144,600 visitors came to Guam’s shores in August, breaking the single-month record of 142,332 set earlier this year in February. That makes August 2016 the single month with the most visitors in the history of the tourism on Guam.

Guam Visitors Bureau also marked a milestone as visitor arrivals from Korea peaked at 46,909. Arrivals from the Philippines also produced a 71.1% increase when compared to 2015.

"Diversifying and growing the different markets of tourism has paid off immensely for our island,” said Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio. “That means more job opportunities for our community and more ways our visitors can experience what’s truly unique about our place in the world. I thank the men and women in our tourism industry for continuing to work day in and day out in sharing our Håfa Adai spirit.”

Beach Fest & charters help Japan arrivals grow

Japan arrival numbers increased by 7.7% compared to the previous year. GVB’s newest signature event, the Guam Summer Beach Fest, contributed to the growth in arrivals, as well as charter flights out of Narita and Nagoya from China Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways.

“We are one month away from wrapping up Fiscal Year 2016 and have achieved much to better our island home for our people and give more opportunities for tourists to visit Guam in a variety of ways. However, the work is far from over in realizing the vision we set out to achieve in our Tourism 2020 strategic plan,” said GVB President and CEO Nathan Denight.

“We must continue to invest in capital improvement projects and help the community understand how tourism dollars are put to good use.”

Summary of arrivals

Guam welcomed 144,695 visitors in August 2016, a 6.8% increase when compared to the same period in the previous year. Total Fiscal Year-to-Date arrivals are 10% higher than the previous year, while total Calendar Year-to-Date arrivals have increased by 9.7%.

As Guam’s top two markets, Japan and Korea showed gains in visitor arrivals for August. Japan arrivals increased by 7.7%, while Korea arrivals increased by 9.8%. Additionally, the Philippines noted a 71.1% boost in arrivals. Other markets also demonstrated diversification and growth. Increased arrival numbers included the U.S. mainland by 10.3%, Hawaii by 5.4%, Palau by 23.7%, CNMI by 5.1% and Europe by 1.9%.

Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer