Facing persistent challenges: GHRA seeks solutions to advance Guam’s tourism

“I don't want to keep dealing with the same problems year after year. I want to find solutions,” said Mary Rhodes, president of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association.

Rhodes spoke to the Journal following an Aug. 8 meeting at Nikko Hotel Guam where panelists from various government offices discussed destination management and some of the island’s long-standing issues — from maintenance of the island’s parks and public bathrooms to a growing number of homeless people in Tumon and a lack of lifeguards and police officers — all of which impact the island’s tourism industry. Officials also discussed projects that promote tourism and the economy in areas outside of Tumon.

“Whether it's with, you know, public-private sector partnerships like what was mentioned, or just different ways of thinking where they don't have to keep spending the money in the same way, right?” she told the Journal.

Government officials made up a panel that spoke about some of the services and efforts related to the island's tourism industry.

Rhodes said many of the challenges discussed by GHRA members and the community at large today are the same the island has faced for decades. She said these issues need to be resolved so the island can move forward to discuss changes in the tourism markets and industry, technology, and potentially new opportunities.

“They need to prioritize funding and maybe change up the way they do things, including Department of Parks & Recreation … and Guam Police Department. But to find out that they're not really funded properly or maybe their amounts haven't been upgraded like everybody else's in the government, maybe we need to prioritize them finally if we want tourism to be the largest focus.”

The meeting was held as the 38th Guam Legislature prepares to tackle the fiscal year 2026 budget this week. Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero earlier this year submitted a $1.357 billion proposed FY2026 budget to the Legislature.

Panel participants included Angel Sablan, acting director of Department of Parks & Recreation; Chief Stephen C. Ignacio of the Guam Police Department; Regine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of the Guam Visitors Bureau; Piti Mayor Jesse L.G. Alig who is also president of the Mayor's Council of Guam; and Speaker Frank F. Blas Jr. of the 38th Guam Legislature. In the audience were Delegate James Moylan, Sen. Therese Terlaje, Sen. Sabina Perez, and Mayor Louise Rivera. Guam International Airport Authority’s executive team and several board members, as well as members of the Guam Economic Development Authority, were also present.

Senators must pass the budget and the governor must sign it into law before Oct. 1.

“It's just right before session because what they decide (during session) is going to determine the next year,” Rhodes said. “And if we don't talk about this now, we're going to have to wait another year. … Just hearing that some GVB programs aren't going to be funded until we go through a (Hotel Occupancy Tax) bond, you're really talking two years (because) those take time. It takes time to … put the package together, get it through the Legislature — and (potentially) them influencing that process and changing the priorities — and the funding, and then going to market with the bond.”

Rhodes said considering that timeline and the lack of funding or prioritization of funds, the community needs to adjust expectations of DPR, mayors, GPD, and GVB. “I just think that we have to be realistic in our expectations but also have a plan to finally resolve our issues and (fill) the gaps,” she said.

Akihiro Tani, Fish Eye's general manager, proposed creating partnerships between the business and civilian community at large — similar to adopting parks or bus stops. He said, for example, Fish Eye could adopt the bathroom at the park across the street. With some government funding, a local business can assist with the general daily upkeep of the adopted bathroom. He said this type of public-private partnership would help ensure bathrooms are open and clean for tourists and the public to use.

Fish Eye Marine Park General Manager Akhiro Tani at the GHRA meeting.

Mark Baldyga, chairman and CEO of Baldyga Group, said young travelers are looking for new and special experiences. He proposed a program that connects them with local families who provide a special home-cooked local meal. “That could cost $25 to $30 a plate,” he said.

Mark S. Baldyga, founder and CEO, of Baldyga Group speaks at the GHRA meeting.

Sablan said he appreciates both ideas, adding that versions of them have been discussed.

“The Ypao amphitheater has a large room in the back,” Sablan said. The agency can work with a family or individual who will live at the amphitheater in exchange for helping to keep an eye on the park and keep it clean.

“As far as Mark is suggesting, we can do that in the park,” he added, saying multiple local families can participate, which will help boost the festive atmosphere.

Rhodes raised some of the immediate concerns, including the flag warning system at Tumon and other beaches. It had been discontinued a few years ago and the insufficient number of lifeguards and closed park bathrooms. The flag warning system is used to communicate beach conditions and potential hazards to the public. Rhodes said the system had started years ago and hotels, in partnership with the government, had invested in the system to help visitors staying at their hotel understand water conditions. While hotels want to continue, they need an agency to take the lead in ensuring the updated flag colors are shared with the hotels. Rhodes said the program has fallen by the wayside and, as shown during the recent tsunami scare, serves an important purpose.

Sablan said they’re working to reinstate the flag warning system.

He added they’re also trying to determine a solution to find and retain lifeguards. He said while DPR hires and then provides training for lifeguard certification, once they’re on the job with some experience, they take higher-paying jobs with the federal government. “They pay $5 more starting pay,” he said.

Rhodes asked him, “So where can we get assistance from the 38th Guam Legislature or even Department of Administration to update the job, the position, the pay, which level one is the minimum wage? And so, in order for you to be competitive and really fill those six seats with the lifeguards, how can we support you in making sure maybe that's updated and then also getting you the resources out on the beach side to ensure that the flag warning system and other signage is really important.”

“How do we get you that support?” she continued.

A Guam Visitors Bureau slide shown at the GHRA meeting.

Sablan responded with thanks for raising the issue and said he’s prepared to defend his budget when his agency is called to the Legislature.

Regarding bathrooms at public parks: “I wish I could tell you that all of them are open.” He said bathrooms at Ypao Beach Park and Matapang Beach are regularly maintained by a contractor. Parks in southern villages are also maintained by contractors but managed by mayors who also report the bathroom conditions to DPR. (See story: Going South: Southern villages face challenges)

And the bathroom at Fish Eye Park in Piti needs upgrading, he said, “because whoever built it put the sewer pumping station above ground level.”

Funding, while a large challenge for DPR and other agencies and offices, is only part of the problem, Sablan and other panelists said.

“One thing I want to add is that no matter how much we invest in our restrooms and no matter who the contractor is, the real problem is the people that don't respect it,” Sablan said.

“They take the toilet tissue and shove the whole damn thing down the toilet bowl so that you can't flush it. Or they crack the mirrors. Or in some cases, just literally, literally pull out the sink and the facilities in the restrooms. That's things that we have to deal with,” he said. “And our contractors? They're ready to give up because every time we call them, they spend more than $1,000 trying to repair something that was perfectly fine the day before.”

Sablan said homelessness is another issue that impacts tourists’ experience of the island.

“There's more homeless in Ypao and Matapang than there are tourists … after hours,” he said. “We take them out. Two hours later they're back.” Guam has a little over 1,000 people without homes, according to the Guam Homeless Coalition.

At a recent night market at CHamoru Village, “we had a homeless individual that was out there terrorizing tourists and people coming to the Wednesday Night Market,” Sablan said. Police were called and picked up the individual.

Park rangers try to connect individuals with departments or organizations that can provide the help they need. “But damn it, some of them don’t care for help,” he said.

Ignacio said the police department does assist with the homeless situation in Tumon. He echoed Sablan, saying the highly transient group will leave only to return.

The police chief highlighted several key initiatives and challenges the department is tackling, particularly focusing on beach patrols, community safety, and staffing issues. He emphasized the ongoing presence and efforts of the beach patrol unit. GPD also supports large-scale events like the Tumon Night Market and works closely with the military when “there's a carrier that comes in with 5,000 to 6,000 sailors.”

He reminded attendees that police officers are needed to cover competing policing demands across Guam’s 19 villages, which affects resource allocation. The department must balance its coverage across diverse community needs, including rising violent crime rates and other public safety concerns.

Unlike DPR, Ignacio said efforts to improve pay incentives have allowed GPD to retain its police officers.

“My problem right now is recruiting,” he said. When he took the helm at GPD, the police academies attracted a full roster of cadets — about 30 individuals. The two academies held this year had 15 and eight people, respectively.

“The recruitment pool has dramatically reduced. And it's not like we're not trying,” he said.

Lee outlined GVB’s ongoing efforts in maintaining and enhancing Guam’s tourism and community spaces. GVB continues to provide beach maintenance in areas like Tumon and Hagåtña Bay. Their contractors daily clean up trash from the beach and empty trash receptacles.

A recent challenge is the invasive algae outbreak in the bays, complicated by Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

“And it's been really taxing for our team because due to some EPA mandates, we've had to go through and hand pick out all of the algae,” she said.

Lee added that GVB also assists with park renovations, including recent upgrades at Angel Santos Park involving facility repairs, signage improvements, and landscaping alongside DPR personnel. Lee added that working in close consultation with mayors and DPR, GVB is conducting island-wide assessments to plan infrastructure improvements scheduled for 2026.

On collaborative initiatives, GVB is involved with legislative efforts such as Bill 160, works with multiple local groups — including the governor’s Islandwide Beautification Task Force, Chamber of Commerce, and schools — to combat graffiti, promote island beautification, and encourage sustainability.

GVB supports and organizes signature events that enhance visitor experiences and contribute to the community, including the Guam Ko’ko Road Race, Micronesia Island Fair, and the recently renewed Tumon Night Market. Upcoming events include the Guam International Dance Festival and various sporting competitions aimed at growing sports tourism.

Future projects include developing hiking trails like the Sella Bay Trail with signage, lighting, and security enhancements, as well as bolstering ocean and beach safety with increased personnel and safety equipment at key locations such as Tumon and Malesso Pier.

Alig said better coordination is needed.

“If we're trying to create a destination that is attractive, then we truly need to work together.  We cannot just be a group of people who decide what the majority needs to do,” he said. Each of the 19 mayors are given a budget, approximately $45,000, for operations alone, which includes taking care of the facilities, the parks, the baseball fields, and the community centers.

Clear communication is necessary because if the onus falls on the mayor to fund other programs like improving and maintaining hiking trails and parks, and it is the mayor who is expected to fund it, that’s going to be tough.

Lee agreed, adding, “Our two main goals in the last few months have really been to drive arrivals and to increase local participation in the industry.”

“And it's really challenging,” she said, reiterating the issue with homelessness, the need to focus on workforce development, among other issues.

“And we're in a position now where the military buildup is starting to plateau and in the next few years drop off. We need to have a strong industry to be able to capture that labor force that will be lost, and all the money that we're receiving from the federal government — we need to be self-sustaining,” she said.

“We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and commit to ourselves that we believe that tourism is the number one economic driver for Guam. We need to start acting like it … And so again, I just am urging the legislators that are in the room, our partners at the mayor's office, that we need to think about having those investments today.”

Blas said when it comes to funds, the Legislature has to balance the different needs of the island community and the reality of the government’s budget.

“I got one side that says, ‘Please help us survive, by reducing the expenditure.’ And on this side, it says, ‘We need more money.’ We have to balance that,” he said, adding that agencies and organizations need to prioritize.

He added that creating a destination that provides a unique cultural experience for Guam’s visitors should include the whole community. The Hafa Adai pledge, for example, was created at the corporate level and businesses have adopted it but it’s something that also should have a place in homes.

“You know in Saipan … they include households as part of their beautification efforts. Why can’t we do it here?” he asked, saying that if families get involved, it grows island pride and that can maybe help with issues like the lack of respect for public facilities.

“Nobody wants to come to a house where people are fighting. Nobody wants to come to the house where the house itself is dirty,” he said. “But if the owners of the home, our people, us as we start to take ownership of this. Many of the issues that we're …. spending too much time on become resolved.” mbj