Guam Visitors Bureau officials said more than 3,000 residents and visitors turned out Sunday night for the launch of the Tumon Night Market.
The event was proposed by GVB board members a few months ago to appeal to visitors who arrive after the Wednesday night CHamoru Village night market and don’t stay on island for an entire week.
Speaking at the night market Sunday, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said the event would give visitors a chance to mingle with residents and experience local foods, crafts and cultural displays.
“GVB has made the direction that we need to bring local people and visitors together, so that our visitors can have a better flavor of what our culture is all about,” she said. “So our visitors can have an understanding of the kind of people we are.”
The launch featured 12 food trucks, eight food booths and 26 retail pop-up shops and interactive booths. Stores and restaurants in the Pleasure Island section of Tumon, where the night market was located, also offered Sunday Specials and erected sidewalk stalls to sell their goods.
GVB Acting President Gerry Perez said the bureau was pleased with the overwhelming turnout. He said areas for improvement were also identified, including traffic choke points in the parking areas, and the addition of shuttle service for upcoming night markets.
The event is scheduled to continue from 5 to 9 p.m. at Pleasure Island for the next several weeks.
