Guam Visitors Bureau officials talked wins and loses roughly two weeks after being warned by the legislative Committee on Tourism chair that the Legislature would not support additional major funding without measurable results and structural changes.
During a press conference on Monday, GVB defended their tourism recovery strategy, citing successful signature events, investments in sports tourism, community partnerships and airline incentives.
GVB CEO and President Regine Biscoe Lee hailed the inaugural Dance Fest a success, citing a "glitch" turned powerful cultural moment of inafa' maolek and dance participants eager to return to compete in next year's competition.
Lee said sports tourism continues to play an important role in attracting visitors and supporting the local economy. Officials pointed to recent jiu-jitsu events held in January that drew visiting participants and supporters, as well as major annual events such as the Tour of Guam cycling race scheduled for late April. Ongoing golf tournaments and baseball-related activities were also cited as contributors to visitor arrivals and hotel stays.
Beyond attracting off-island participants, GVB said it provides limited support to local athletes and teams traveling abroad through promotional materials and assistance tied to its community grant program. In exchange, recipient organizations are required to give back through volunteer service at major island events, including the Guam International Marathon and Ko’ko’ Road Race, where youth sports groups often assist with aid stations and race support.
Officials also addressed long-standing concerns over blight and abandoned vehicles, acknowledging persistent complaints from residents and village mayors. GVB said it is coordinating with government agencies and private-sector partners on a new initiative aimed at addressing junk cars and visual blight, with additional details expected in the coming weeks and months.
Current efforts include beautification projects throughout Tumon, such as repainting curbs, guardrails and sidewalks, as well as coordination with the Guam Power Authority to repaint utility poles along Marine Drive. GVB emphasized that it does not have authority to condemn abandoned or deteriorating buildings, which fall under the jurisdiction of other agencies, but said it maintains an inventory of problem properties and works with business owners to identify support options.
GVB officials also sought to address public criticism regarding off-island travel and marketing expenditures, emphasizing that the bureau is funded primarily through hotel occupancy tax revenues rather than general taxpayer funds. Officials said maintaining a presence in key source markets is essential to sustaining airline relationships and visitor demand.
“If you’re not there, you’re out of sight and out of mind,” officials said, stressing the importance of continued marketing to keep Guam competitive in the regional tourism market.
Regarding airline incentives, GVB confirmed it has received $5.9 million to support air service recovery and expansion. The funding is being deployed through a three-pronged approach that includes direct airline incentives, cooperative marketing with airlines and travel partners, and load-factor support to help ensure flights operate at sustainable capacity levels. Officials said allocations vary by market and carrier type, and full disclosure on expenditures will be provided at the end of the fiscal year to preserve negotiating flexibility.
This follows concerns raised by Sen. Jesse A. Lujan, chairman of the Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Customs, Utilities, and Federal and Foreign Affairs, who delivered pointed remarks during the GVB Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 15.
Lujan warned that the Legislature would not support additional major tourism financing, including another Hotel Occupancy Tax bond, without significant reforms and demonstrable results. He said lawmakers previously approved a $10 million investment as a calculated risk intended to restore visitor arrivals, stabilize Tumon and support local businesses, but said those outcomes have not materialized.
Lujan said restoring legislative confidence would require fundamental change, including new management, a board structure with greater authority to act, or both. He emphasized that without clear results, the Legislature would not consider additional funding requests.
GVB officials reiterated their focus on long-term recovery efforts, marketing investments and partnerships aimed at rebuilding air capacity and visitor demand.
"The great opportunity we have again is we are on these calls every week with the airport keeping a close eye on these things and it's not going to be at the end of the fiscal year where we are going to be like ... we didn't meet our targets. We know right away if things are not working out and we are able to adjust," Lee said.
Lee highlighted exceeding moderate and optimistic arrivals projections at the close of 2025.
"When you're looking at that 40% increase, we're talking about 67,000 people visiting Guam in December of 2024 and then in 25, we had about 90,000 visitors. So, It's a tremendous amount of momentum and growth, but we also want to make sure that our industry is ready and capable to handle all of those visitors. And we want to make sure that we grow sustainably so that we don't just ramp up and then people come here and they have a terrible experience because they're waiting, you know, to eat at a restaurant for three or four hours, which is sometimes the experiences in places where there's over tourism," Lee said.
She said GVB is "shooting hard" to meet 2026's target of one-million visitors, "We are very optimistic that we'll meet those numbers," Lee said.
In terms of losses, Lee acknowledged a reduction of flights by Korean Airlines, but emphasized that each market is different.
"We are always looking at some reductions especially in softer periods and ramps up in other periods. Some of the reductions may be met with additional charter services, but that remains to be seen. Our main goal out of Korea is to just have a more stable capacity. What we've seen in past years has been kind of this roller coaster ride," Lee said.
What GVB wants is to sustain seat capacity and better flight options.
"Our daytime flights have had incredible load factors anywhere between like 80 and 90% full. And so that's really where we want to be. And yeah, we're continuing this momentum and we're looking forward to much more," Lee said.