If there’s one thing decades of administrations in Guam show a remarkable talent for it’s producing plans and reports on plans and standing up task forces to prepare plans.
In the Journal’s archives there are copies of these plans going back decades.
The plans have been variously unveiled and discussed – or not – and showing progress, but mostly not – at planning symposiums, numerous conferences and forums through
the years.
They have covered land use, storm water drainage, flood hazards mitigation, the Guam Memorial Hospital and of course tourism.
The plans have been praised and criticized through the years, resurrected, revised and duly dissected by experts in public and in print.
In 2015, Guam debated the Guam 2020 Tourism Plan, which saw the light during the administration of Gov. Eddie Calvo when Mark Baldyga, chairman and CEO of the Baldyga Group, was chairman of the board.
That plan had very clear aims: Vision 2020’s intent was to develop “A world class, first-tier resort destination of choice, offering a U.S. island paradise with stunning ocean vistas, for two million business and leisure visitors from across the region with accommodations and activities ranging from value to five-star luxury – all in a safe, clean, family-friendly environment set amidst a unique 4,000 old culture.” And then the plan discussed its eight core objectives.
Was 2 million too many for Guam? Sustainability and tourism experts began the debates. Since COVID, that question has become academic.
But in Guam – and in some of our neighboring islands in Micronesia – tourism is still a hot topic.
The Guam Visitors Bureau team, its board, its committee chairpersons, the Guam Tourism and Travel Association, the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Micronesia Chapter – have all put forward solutions and points of view on how we should plan for the future.
Now we face a future tourism plan for 2030, and along with that the newly- unveiled Draft Guåhan 2050 Sustainability Plan released by Guam’s Bureau of Statistics and Plans: which has five goals: Sustainable Communities, a Prosperous Economy, a Thriving Environment, a Vibrant Culture, and Village Sustainability.
Chances are what emerges from public hearings and public comments will be discussed at the upcoming Guam Conference on Island Sustainability from April 20 to 2024.
What will happen to that plan is still to be seen, but once again this paper will report on its progress as it has always done with any and all plans for the future. mbj
In the Journal’s archives there are copies of these plans going back decades.
The plans have been variously unveiled and discussed – or not – and showing progress, but mostly not – at planning symposiums, numerous conferences and forums through
the years.
They have covered land use, storm water drainage, flood hazards mitigation, the Guam Memorial Hospital and of course tourism.
The plans have been praised and criticized through the years, resurrected, revised and duly dissected by experts in public and in print.
In 2015, Guam debated the Guam 2020 Tourism Plan, which saw the light during the administration of Gov. Eddie Calvo when Mark Baldyga, chairman and CEO of the Baldyga Group, was chairman of the board.
That plan had very clear aims: Vision 2020’s intent was to develop “A world class, first-tier resort destination of choice, offering a U.S. island paradise with stunning ocean vistas, for two million business and leisure visitors from across the region with accommodations and activities ranging from value to five-star luxury – all in a safe, clean, family-friendly environment set amidst a unique 4,000 old culture.” And then the plan discussed its eight core objectives.
Was 2 million too many for Guam? Sustainability and tourism experts began the debates. Since COVID, that question has become academic.
But in Guam – and in some of our neighboring islands in Micronesia – tourism is still a hot topic.
The Guam Visitors Bureau team, its board, its committee chairpersons, the Guam Tourism and Travel Association, the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Micronesia Chapter – have all put forward solutions and points of view on how we should plan for the future.
Now we face a future tourism plan for 2030, and along with that the newly- unveiled Draft Guåhan 2050 Sustainability Plan released by Guam’s Bureau of Statistics and Plans: which has five goals: Sustainable Communities, a Prosperous Economy, a Thriving Environment, a Vibrant Culture, and Village Sustainability.
Chances are what emerges from public hearings and public comments will be discussed at the upcoming Guam Conference on Island Sustainability from April 20 to 2024.
What will happen to that plan is still to be seen, but once again this paper will report on its progress as it has always done with any and all plans for the future. mbj
