Heathrow Airport saw the impact of a new £10 charge for overseas travelers using UK airports to connect to other flights. First introduced for Qatari nationals in transit, but due to roll out for other nationals this year, Heathrow saw 19,000 fewer transit passengers, to the gain of other European capitals. Retailers at Heathrow are less than pleased, to put it mildly, and the airport is calling on the government to remove the charge.
Heathrow had already introduced a £5 pound terminal drop off charge, proving that the airport is no slouch when it comes to maximizing arrivals either.
Hawaii’s “resort charge” has drawn various industry correspondents to write about how to avoid what can amount to hundreds of dollars for a family’s stay in the islands, or to comparative destination shop.
Here at home, I am told our military visitors have learned that driving in Guam — or up and down to bases — is not that difficult, with the happy result that more of them are hiring cars and are also heading out to our local stores in their down time.
This means there is more demand for parking at our hotels, and I am also told that has generated a rise in the valet parking fee at some hotels.
Still, local events at our hotels continue to be a draw.
Hotels can expect those event attendees that wish to secure parking to arrive early, as we have already seen with our own well-attended Guam Business Magazine functions, although about a third of attendees still prefer to valet park, by our estimates. Our response as hosts (which proved popular) was to open the bars 30 minutes early, rather than leave guests milling around in the foyer or reception area.
And on the subject of events — this time the all-important dress code — I’ve just seen a first — “Island chic.” That’s guaranteed to strike anxiety in the hearts of some attendees, while others may regard it as a fun challenge.
On another note, we are well into election season in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau.
Here on Guam, we are also two events into that chain of election gatherings known most recently as a “town hall meeting” at the University of Guam in April, and a “forum” in May hosted by the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association, guaranteed to test candidate skills in speaking in public — without knowing what will be asked of them.
I personally am counting the stream of Legislative Certificates handed out by several of our senators, and the number of legislative bills increasing as we move forward to November.
I read with interest the Republican Party of Guam’s 2024 platform and will read the Democratic Party of Guam’s platform when it appears with equal interest.
And thank you to the reader who sent us the reading material on PFAs in water, following the MBJ story on the issue. Equally interesting was the comment that “removing PFAs is a multi-step complicated process.” Our reader doubts Guam has the technology to remove them. I’ve asked that the two volumes on PFAs be passed on to the senators who are introducing bills relative to water.
But as I sit here writing to you, the power has just gone out in my house and village. My chat groups suddenly sprang to life as people reported which villages are also sans power, and at dinner time at that.
“Plus ça change, plus ça la même chose,” as the French say, or the more things change, the more they stay the same. mbj
— Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Glimpses Media includes the Marianas Business Journal, Guam Business Magazine, The Guam Guide, Wave 105.1 FM and Power98.