Korean newspaper decries Guam and Saipan; reality is different local tourism leaders say
BY MAUREEN N. MARATITA
Journal Staff
The Chosun Ilbo, or Chosun Daily, has published coverage on what it said is the declining appeal of Guam and Saipan to Korean travelers. The Chosun coverage was in a Nov. 21 editorial and an updated story on Nov. 22. That story has been carried by other media.
The paper said in its Nov. 22 story, “Recently, some routes, including Busan-Guam, have been operating nearly empty from Gimhae Airport. This is due to supply oversaturation on unpopular routes caused by Korea Fair Trade Commission regulations.”
The Fair Trade Commission's regulation on the prevention of monopoly harm, is a condition for the integration of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. As a condition for the integration approval of Korean Air and Asiana, the Fair Trade Commission proposed a regulation on "maintaining more than 90% of seat supply compared to 2019" for some routes such as Incheon and Guam. It was intended to prevent an increase in ticket prices due to a reduction in supply.
Guam and Saipan are seeing declining appeal from Korean travelers according to a report in the Chosun Daily. Photo by Skyler Obispo
In order to comply with this regulation, the Chosun said, Korean Air expanded the Incheon-Guam route from 14 times a week to 21 times, and Jin Air (now KAL’s low-cost carrier) increased it from 7 times to 14 times.
“According to aviation statistics from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, on [Nov.] 7th, only three passengers boarded Korean Air flight KE2260, which departed from Guam and arrived in Busan. The aircraft had a total of 180 seats, and typically six crew members — including the captain, co-pilot, and four cabin attendants — are on board. This meant the number of crew members exceeded the number of passengers,” the paper said.
“On the 1st [November] only four passengers boarded a Korean Air flight departing from Busan to Guam, and on the 2nd, the total number of passengers on Korean Air’s Busan-Guam flights was just 19,” the Chosun said.
“The situation is similar for other airlines. Currently, Korean Air and Jeju Air operate one round-trip daily on the Busan-Guam route from Gimhae Airport, while Air Busan operates two round-trips daily. In November, the average boarding rate for Korean Air, Jeju Air, and Air Busan’s Busan-Guam routes was only 10–20%,” the paper said.
In both the editorial and the feature, the writers detailed the past attractions of both islands and compared that to the situation today.
“Guam was popular for honeymoons and filial tourism, while Saipan attracted visitors for golf. In a 2017 list of the top 10 overseas tourist destinations released by a travel agency, Guam ranked second and Saipan sixth,” the paper said.
However, the situation has drastically changed, the Chosun said. “In 2019, 740,000 Koreans visited Guam and 240,000 went to Saipan. Last year, these numbers dropped to 370,000 and 170,000, respectively.”
The primary reason for Guam and Saipan’s decline is the high exchange rate, the Chosun said. The exchange rate is recognized in both Guam and Saipan as a challenge.
However, the paper quoted a traveler, who said, “A burger that costs 7,000 Korean won in Korea ($4.76 dollars as of Nov. 23) was 13,000 Korean won ($8.85 as of Nov. 23) there.”
The Chosun also said, “In Bohol, the Philippines — a newly popular destination — food for four people costs 50,000 – 60,000 Korean won per day, but a single dinner in Guam can cost 300,000 Korean won. Sticking to family-oriented water-activities caused the islands to lose customers to Southeast Asia.”
YouTube videos “introducing Saipan’s local scenery” the paper said “show abandoned stores with broken windows, hotel showerheads spewing rusty water and stray dogs roaming the streets. It is hardly a tourist destination if it is unsafe to go out at night.” *
The Guam Visitors Bureau’s most recent report on visitor arrivals is from September. For the calendar year to September, the island saw 259,204 visitors, and 344,003 for fiscal 2025 from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30 this year, according to GVB.
GVB is currently promoting Guam as a destination for both short-term and long-term English study programs and participated in the 25th EDM International Education Fair held at COEX in Seoul on Oct. 18 and 19.
The Chosun has 1.5 million subscribers to its print issue according to its website, and a Digital Chosun.
Local tourism leaders told the Journal that the situation is not as bleak as the story said.
EunHo S. Eun, chairman of Core Tech International is also the largest shareholder of Tanota Group, which manages properties including the Dusit Thani Guam Resort, the Dusit Beach Resort, Bayview Hotel, and The Plaza. Eun is a board member of the Guam Visitors Bureau, and chairman of the Korea Committee of GVB.
As far as passengers from the Korean market, he told the paper, “The number is climbing.” The Chosun referred to the specific case of night flights, Eun said.
Referring to the Korean market, Eun said, “Day flights are totally solid. Because we didn’t have the supply early in 2025, we may end up 3% lower than last year. If you compare the second half of the year [with last year], we are doing better.”
While the won rate is a challenge, he said, “Despite that, we are doing okay. We expect November and December will be better.”
Eun said, “The November and December seat supply is higher than last year. December is almost 100,000 air seats.”
As to the comments about pricing, he said some Korean travelers could be described as “prudent.”
TydingcoDavid Tydingco, managing director and CEO of Valley of the Latte Adventure Park, is also chairman of the Tourism Policy Committee of the Guam Travel & Tourism Association and vice chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Micronesia Chapter. The Micronesia Chapter will meet in Guam from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10 at the Guam Museum.
Tydingco said the number of Korean visitors is rising. “We’re seeing progress. We are seeing measurable improvements overall.”
While GVB plays a component part, particularly to market the island, how Guam will move forward needs to include multiple voices, Tydingco said. “It’s got to be really a community effort.” Guam needs to “understand historically how we got here.” Moving forward, he said, “We need to create the narrative, and a compelling story.”
DFS played a large part in marketing Guam and successfully, as a shopping destination, Tydingo said. “That era has now changed.”
He said Palau has become even more expensive. “They have found a way to present their brand and have become a global destination. We should have that same strategy.”
The GTTA, together with Guam Community College, the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association, the Japan Guam Travel Association, the Korea Guam Travel, and other industry organizations and businesses will hold another tourism forum, “Bridging tourism with talent,” on Dec. 2 at the SandCastle in Tumon.
“One of the things I’m concerned about is how we can drive our tourism back overall,” Tydingco said. Given recent closures of tourism related businesses, he said, “The closure play into a wake-up call for us as a destination. I think over time the currency issues will right itself. What do we do now? I’m hoping the forum will drive discussion.”
Tydingco said that a regional approach to tourism could help. Moving forward with a cruise industry for Micronesia was discussed on Oct. 21 at the Micronesian Chapter meeting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association in Yap. The chapter will meet in Guam from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10, at the Guam Museum.
Pacific Islands Club Guam has seen large numbers of visitors from Korea come to the resort through the years. Ben H. Ferguson, general manager of PIC Guam and vice president of P.H.R. Ken Micronesia Inc., told the Journal, “We are seeing an uptick in arrivals; our projections for November, December and January are okay.”
Comparing current figures to 2019 is not helpful, he said.
“We have to be practical in how we project growth. … The exchange rate is quite a barrier,” he said. “The differences in the market are stark; competing destinations are more effective.”
Whatever the perceptions of Guam are, “The core principles of traveling to Guam are still there,” he said.
Ferguson has stepped forward in his role as a director of the Guam Chamber of Commerce to lead the Destination Management committee, together with GVB. The group has taken on the issue of graffiti, trash and more. “We’ve made some progress; in the next 60 days you’ll see quite a bit of work being done to improve these issues. People that call Guam home will see these changes happening. I’m encouraged by some of the developments I’ve seen,” he said.
Ferguson“We also acknowledge there’s a lot more to be done,” Ferguson said. “I think the forum GTAA is hosting is a wonderful idea.”
Despite the Chosun’s claims, one factor that is likely to help Guam is it’s reputation as a safe destination, which GVB has focused on with the continuation of its Visitor Safety Officer Program, contracting security and safety officers to patrol public areas, particularly in the Tumon tourism district.
Recent efforts have included pilot projects to improve solar-powered street lighting along Tumon Bay to ensure adequate visibility and deter crime. GVB said the bureau has also made efforts in international markets to emphasize Guam as a safe destination.
South Korea issued a Code Black ban in October for parts of Cambodia ordering citizens to leave areas where the government identified employment scams targeting Korean nationals. According to media reports in October, about 1,000 Koreans became involved either voluntarily or involuntarily. A number of those were repatriated in October. The scam industry has reportedly spread to Laos, and Myanmar, as well as other countries in Asia. mbj
*The Journal did not find YouTube specifically showing what the Chosun reports.
A Journal exclusive on plans for deep sea mining in the waters of the Mariana Islands, propelled Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and Gov. David M. Atapang into action.
