The Guam Visitors Bureau has formalized its commitment to sustainable tourism, signing a memorandum of understanding Thursday with the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability, Sea Grant and Guam Green Growth during UOG CIS's weeklong Conference on Sustainability at Hyatt Regency Guam.
GVB President and CEO Régine Biscoe Lee signed the MOU alongside G3 Steering Committee Co-Chair Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and Austin Shelton, who serves as both G3 Steering Committee Co-Chair and Director of UOG CIS & Sea Grant. The agreement commits the alliance to promoting and developing Guam as a sustainable visitor destination.
"Sustainability is not just a global conversation — it is a local responsibility," Biscoe Lee said. "For Guam, it means protecting our natural resources, preserving our culture, and strengthening our economy in ways that lift all boats."
Guam Green Growth is Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero's response to the United Nations' call to activate its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The public-private partnership is facilitated by UOG CIS and Sea Grant.
Shelton said the agreement positions UOG to help GVB and its members implement the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals in locally and culturally grounded ways.
"We're moving our island toward a sustainable future," Shelton said. "The visitor industry is really important to the economy."
For more information, visit guamgreengrowth.org or guamvisitorsbureau.com.