Guam Wins Two Awards at Busan International Travel Fair

(Tumon, Guam) The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) is pleased to announce that Guam won the Best Folklore Performance Award and the Best Tourism Publicity Award after impressing the international community at the Busan International Travel Fair (BITF).

More than 244 exhibitors from 44 countries were a part of the travel fair, which was held September 12-15, 2014 in Busan City. Tourism trade partners from Guam and Korea joined GVB in an outreach effort to let more than 100,000 Korean consumers know about Guam’s unique attractions and travel offerings. The Guam delegation was led by Legislative Tourism Committee Chairwoman Senator Tina Muña Barnes, GVB General Manager Karl Pangelinan and GVB Marketing Manager Pilar Laguaña.

“The Busan International Travel Fair was a great way to share Guam’s story and show our Korean travelers that our home is truly the destination of choice. We are honored to win two awards that showcased our Chamorro culture and the good news about our island,” said GVB General Manager Karl Pangelinan. “GVB thanks our tourism partners for investing in Guam and representing the best of what our island paradise has to offer. Korea has already been a breakout star as Guam’s second top visitor market and we want to continue that momentum in the years to come.”

GVB was also joined by Korean travel agents in Daegu and Busan this past weekend for the Guam Product Update Roadshow and Workshop. Korean Air, United Korea, Pacific Islands Club, PHR Korea, Leo Palace Resort, Hyatt Regency Guam, Outrigger Guam Resort, T Galleria by DFS, Pleasure Island, Hotel Nikko, Lotte Hotel Guam, Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort and other industry leaders also made presentations about their respective properties at the travel fair.

Additionally, the Guam delegation visited various trade and travel industry executives and airlines to express appreciation for their support and expand upon the island’s tourism network.

"Guam has seen explosive growth in Korea's arrivals during Fiscal Year 2014. We've seen an over 25% increase when compared to FY13 and we anticipate reaching close to 300,000 total Korean visitors when FY14 ends," said GVB Marketing Manager Pilar Laguaña. "We thank Korea for contributing to our island's number one industry."

Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer