Palau sees 26% fewer visitors in September versus last month
In September, Palau recorded a total of 4,499 visitor arrivals, reflecting a seasonal decrease, the Palau Visitors Authority said. This represents a 26% drop compared to the previous month’s total of 6,061arrivals.
Palau saw 65,558 visitors in fiscal 2025, which ended Sept. 30. From January to September, Palau recorded 50,899 international arrivals, achieving a 23% increase compared to the 41,525 visitors received in the same period of 2024.
Moments after landing at the Roman Tmetuchl International Airport in Palau on October 29, 2025, His Excellency The Honorable Surangel Whipps, Jr., President of the Republic of Palau, and Steve Morrissey, Vice President, International Regulatory & Policy for United Airlines, (first row, from left), celebrate the inaugural flight of the new route between Tokyo Narita, Japan and Koror, Palau. Photo courtesy Office of the President
There were 34,096 visitors from Asia to Palau, and 4,961 Japan arrivals in the months from January through September among the total of 50,899. Those figures should get a boost from United’s Narita to Koror flight, which launched Oct. 30. The flight has the potential to connect U.S. visitors to Narita and onward to Palau through United’s system also. See Palau welcomes new United Airlines flight from Narita.
In calendar year 2019, Palau saw a total of 93,723 visitors.
In related tourism news, the Guam Reef Hotel is conducting “comprehensive repair and maintenance services of the hotel’s Automatic Transfer Switch” to ensure that it is at peak performance level. The hotel will close temporarily from Nov. 3 to Nov. 12 to allow for the work, the Reef said in a release. mbj
AIRAI, Palau — Cheers and greetings met more than 100 visitors at Palau International Airport for the arrival of United Airlines Flight 143, the new nonstop Narita-Palau service. The inaugural flight, which landed at about 10:40 p.m. on Oct. 29, had been long-awaited.
The U.S. Postal Service has responded the Journal concerning delays in its mail services to the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.
Former First Lady of Japan, Akie Abe, widow of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is visiting Palau. While there, she met with President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. and First Lady Valerie R. Whipps on Sept. 18.
