Guam tourism arrivals continued to decline in July, with arrivals down about 37% compared with the same month last year.
During the Guam Visitors Bureau’s final 2026 quarterly membership meeting on Wednesday, GVB President and CEO Regine Biscoe Lee reported that Guam recorded 44,256 arrivals in July.
Biscoe Lee said the decline was driven primarily by Guam’s key source markets of Korea and Japan. For Korea, Biscoe Lee said affordability and access remain challenges, with higher airfares making Guam less competitive. Japan has also faced higher travel costs and peak-season pricing, along with travel disruptions following Typhoon Sinlaku and Bavi.
Despite the July decline, Bisco Lee said fiscal year-to-date arrivals remain stronger.
“We’re also seeing some slight growth from U.S. Hawaii markets as well as Taiwan. The fiscal year-to-date performance remains much stronger at approximately 628,000 visitors, just 2% below last year,” Biscoe Lee said.
Biscoe Lee outlined several ongoing and upcoming marketing efforts aimed at strengthening Guam’s tourism demand. In Korea, GVB is supporting business-to-business promotions with airlines and travel agencies, including discounts and travel benefits intended to drive bookings on the Busan-Guam route.
GVB is also launching a four-month advertising campaign on Korean Air aircraft. From Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, passengers accessing Starlink Wi-Fi will see a 30-second mandatory video advertisement promoting Guam.
Biscoe Lee said the campaign is expected to reach about 1.6 million travelers across approximately 89 aircraft.
GVB will also continue working with Travel Wallet and Visa Korea on local spending, cashback, and reward promotions, as well as outdoor advertising in Korea.
In Japan, GVB is planning September Guam tourism exposure and will participate in the Japan Tourism Expo later this month. The bureau plans to promote Guam through cultural performances, food truck appearances, and a television partnership.
For North America, GVB plans to participate in IMEX in October, promoting Guam’s meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions offerings.
The bureau is also expanding its efforts into other international markets, including Singapore, where it will participate in ITB Asia in October. Alongside overseas marketing efforts, GVB is continuing work to improve Guam’s visitor experience.
Biscoe Lee highlighted ongoing cleanup and maintenance efforts at beaches, parks, sidewalks, and points of interest around the island.
GVB’s destination maintenance team collected about 150 tons of general and green waste from October through July, including debris collected following Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi. Biscoe Lee said the destination team’s work is focused not only on visitors, but also on keeping Guam’s public spaces clean and safe for residents. GVB is also continuing projects related to ecotourism, cultural preservation, and destination development, including work on hiking trails, historic cannon replicas, and other visitor sites.
