BY DANIEL M. PEREZ
Journal Staff
TUMON, Guam — The Guam Visitors Bureau is mobilizing a $2 million comprehensive response plan to navigate an escalating global travel crisis, characterized by jet fuel prices hovering at $200 per barrel and anticipated 20% fare hikes from major carriers. Régine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of the Guam Visitors Bureau, clarified that the allocation is intended to fund a strategic defense of Guam’s market position rather than direct fuel subsidies. "This money isn't for fuel," Lee said. "It's the cost of a comprehensive response plan to deal with the cost of jet fuel, where we’re highlighting Guam’s cost effectiveness despite this spike in global prices".
The plan focuses on added value campaigns and intensified collaboration with industry partners, including financial institutions and influencers, to alleviate traveler cost pressures. To stabilize seat capacity following route suspensions like the Cebu—Guam service, GVB remains in weekly negotiations with several low-cost carriers. While maintaining ties with established partners like Jeju Air and T’way Air, the bureau is proactively courting Aero K, Air Premia, and Jetstar Japan. Lee noted that these conversations are critical even for long-term planning through 2027, as many carriers face choke points due to Boeing aircraft delivery delays and labor shortages among pilots and flight attendants.
Despite a prior goal of one million visitors for 2026, GVB is now adopting a more flexible, quarterly evaluation of arrival targets. "Forces beyond our control have really shaken the foundation of tourism worldwide," Lee said. "Our focus right now is to really stabilize that foundation through these conditions and then chase our market once the winds kind of return in our favor". The current priority involves maximizing load factors for existing routes while exploring potential direct service expansions in Malaysia and China.
A central pillar of this recovery strategy involves a data-driven approach to influencer marketing, specifically targeting high-yield Gen Z and Millennial travelers from Japan and Korea. GVB vets influencers based on audience alignment and platform diversity, prioritizing evergreen channels like YouTube and Naver over social media engagement alone. "The proof is in the results themselves," Lee said, citing a 56.7% year-over-year increase in arrivals for the Guam International Dance Festival and over 900 international registrants for the 2026 Ko'ko' Road Race. The latter event generated an estimated $1.65 million in direct visitor spending.
To further drive conversions, GVB has implemented influencer-led flash sales utilizing unique promotional codes. These campaigns allow the bureau to track specific booking analytics and data in real time. Lee explained that a sense of urgency is vital to the success of these promotions. "What we're finding is that when we give people a longer period to purchase, they're not as inspired but when you have a short window, okay, you can only get it for the next 48 hours or so using this code, it really helps to drive sales," Lee said.
The bureau is also capitalizing on the success of the Japanese docudrama, "Why I’m With You", a 2025 production by TV Tokyo filmed entirely on Guam in partnership with GVB. The series followed three couples across different generations reconsidering their relationships while exploring the island’s culture and landscapes. Lee noted that immediately after episodes aired, online searches for Guam increased significantly, leading to the establishment of pilgrimage tours to filming sites like the CHamoru Village Night Market.
To combat sponsored content skepticism, GVB is shifting toward user-generated content and micro-influencers. A new summer campaign pairs off-island creators with local guides to highlight "hidden gems" and provide an authentic view of the island’s post-storm recovery. Specific Japanese YouTube partners, including the Yonino channel with 10 million views and Koyaki Studios with 5.5 million subscribers, have successfully developed Guam-specific travel packages for their followers. Lee emphasized that there is a "method to all of the kind of madness" regarding these signature events and collaborations. "We want to inspire our guests to feel welcome and to keep returning," Lee concluded, emphasizing the continued importance of the "Hafa Adai" spirit in Guam’s regional competitiveness. mbj
Journal Staff
TUMON, Guam — The Guam Visitors Bureau is mobilizing a $2 million comprehensive response plan to navigate an escalating global travel crisis, characterized by jet fuel prices hovering at $200 per barrel and anticipated 20% fare hikes from major carriers. Régine Biscoe Lee, president and CEO of the Guam Visitors Bureau, clarified that the allocation is intended to fund a strategic defense of Guam’s market position rather than direct fuel subsidies. "This money isn't for fuel," Lee said. "It's the cost of a comprehensive response plan to deal with the cost of jet fuel, where we’re highlighting Guam’s cost effectiveness despite this spike in global prices".
The plan focuses on added value campaigns and intensified collaboration with industry partners, including financial institutions and influencers, to alleviate traveler cost pressures. To stabilize seat capacity following route suspensions like the Cebu—Guam service, GVB remains in weekly negotiations with several low-cost carriers. While maintaining ties with established partners like Jeju Air and T’way Air, the bureau is proactively courting Aero K, Air Premia, and Jetstar Japan. Lee noted that these conversations are critical even for long-term planning through 2027, as many carriers face choke points due to Boeing aircraft delivery delays and labor shortages among pilots and flight attendants.
Despite a prior goal of one million visitors for 2026, GVB is now adopting a more flexible, quarterly evaluation of arrival targets. "Forces beyond our control have really shaken the foundation of tourism worldwide," Lee said. "Our focus right now is to really stabilize that foundation through these conditions and then chase our market once the winds kind of return in our favor". The current priority involves maximizing load factors for existing routes while exploring potential direct service expansions in Malaysia and China.
A central pillar of this recovery strategy involves a data-driven approach to influencer marketing, specifically targeting high-yield Gen Z and Millennial travelers from Japan and Korea. GVB vets influencers based on audience alignment and platform diversity, prioritizing evergreen channels like YouTube and Naver over social media engagement alone. "The proof is in the results themselves," Lee said, citing a 56.7% year-over-year increase in arrivals for the Guam International Dance Festival and over 900 international registrants for the 2026 Ko'ko' Road Race. The latter event generated an estimated $1.65 million in direct visitor spending.
To further drive conversions, GVB has implemented influencer-led flash sales utilizing unique promotional codes. These campaigns allow the bureau to track specific booking analytics and data in real time. Lee explained that a sense of urgency is vital to the success of these promotions. "What we're finding is that when we give people a longer period to purchase, they're not as inspired but when you have a short window, okay, you can only get it for the next 48 hours or so using this code, it really helps to drive sales," Lee said.
The bureau is also capitalizing on the success of the Japanese docudrama, "Why I’m With You", a 2025 production by TV Tokyo filmed entirely on Guam in partnership with GVB. The series followed three couples across different generations reconsidering their relationships while exploring the island’s culture and landscapes. Lee noted that immediately after episodes aired, online searches for Guam increased significantly, leading to the establishment of pilgrimage tours to filming sites like the CHamoru Village Night Market.
To combat sponsored content skepticism, GVB is shifting toward user-generated content and micro-influencers. A new summer campaign pairs off-island creators with local guides to highlight "hidden gems" and provide an authentic view of the island’s post-storm recovery. Specific Japanese YouTube partners, including the Yonino channel with 10 million views and Koyaki Studios with 5.5 million subscribers, have successfully developed Guam-specific travel packages for their followers. Lee emphasized that there is a "method to all of the kind of madness" regarding these signature events and collaborations. "We want to inspire our guests to feel welcome and to keep returning," Lee concluded, emphasizing the continued importance of the "Hafa Adai" spirit in Guam’s regional competitiveness. mbj
