FY2015 Tourism arrivals shatters records

NOTE: The following is a joint release from Governor Eddie Baza Calvo and the Guam Visitors Bureau.

“The folks in the tourism industry are investing in the growth and diversification of our visitor markets — and that effort is paying off. I commend the Guam Visitors Bureau and its partners for promoting the Chamorro culture, food and arts, as well as our local athletic events — showcasing activities and fun they can find only on Guam. Congratulations on another record breaking year!”

 – Governor Eddie Baza Calvo

Guam grows closer to 1.4 million visitors

Fiscal Year 2015 is the second top fiscal year in Guam’s tourism history, beating out arrivals from almost 20 years ago.

Guam achieved another fiscal year milestone welcoming 1,372,531 visitors, making this the top arrivals in a year this century, and the second highest in nearly 20 years. This also marks three consecutive years where we’ve broken the 1.3 million mark. Guam’s top banner year was FY1997 with 1,411,447 visitors recorded.

Arrivals for FY2015 — which runs from Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015 — surpassed FY2014 by 2.3%. Calendar year-to-date arrivals for 2015 are also showing positive growth with Guam recording 1,042,587 tourists since January.

“We’re definitely proud of the hard work that was accomplished,” said Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio. “And we are going to continue to push ahead. We are preparing to host the Festival of Pacific Arts in 2016, the PATA Annual Summit, and our other signature events and activities. We thank Guamanians and visitors for supporting tourism.”

September 2015 boasts highest numbers for the month

Guam welcomed 120,922 visitors in September 2015, a 7.5% increase when compared to the previous year. September 2015 is now the top September in Guam’s history, outranking the previous record set in September 1997, with 113,928 visitors.

Japan arrivals recorded a 0.5% increase, showing signs that arrivals are stabilizing. Japan arrivals capped off FY2015 with 779,405 visitors to Guam. GVB continues to strategically target segments such as groups, students, and the senior market. This past month, GVB launched the “Toshi-chan” campaign in Japan to attract more Japanese travelers and encourage them to share their “Only on Guam” experiences.

Banner year for Korea

Korea’s story in FY2015 is also noteworthy. Arrivals totaled 384,112 visitors, making this past fiscal year the top banner year for Korea arrivals ever. Additional support from T’way and Air Busan during the tail end of the fiscal year has no doubt augmented availability of flights into Guam to help arrivals grow.

China records robust numbers

The People's Republic of China also grew significantly with a 62.2% increase over FY2014 numbers. Guam welcomed about 23,589 visitors from the People’s Republic of China, which surpassed GVB’s goal of 20,000 visitors for the fiscal year.

The continuous support of airline carriers, such as United Airlines, is a major part of the contributing success of visitors from China and other countries. Other visitor markets continue to grow and diversify.  The Philippines increased by 20.6% and Palau increased by 54.9%. Additional markets that also grew in September include Canada by 72.4%, Europe by 29.2% and the Hong Kong by 13.3%.

“During the last five years, we’ve been able to move our tourism industry in the right direction,” said GVB General Manager Nathan Denight.

“Now is the time to reinvest in our tourism product and infrastructure. GVB is committed to getting this done so we can continue to break records long after our Tourism 2020 goals are achieved. I want to thank Governor Calvo, Lt. Governor Tenorio, Tourism Chairwoman Senator Tina Muna Barnes, the Legislature and our tourism partners for their efforts in making Guam the best place to live, work, and visit.”

15 Top Banner Fiscal Year Arrivals (as of October 09, 2015)

Rank               Fiscal Year                  Guam Arrivals

1                      FY1997                      1,411,447

2                      FY2015                      1,372,531

3                      FY1996                      1,369,877

4                      FY2014                      1,341,054

5                      FY2013                      1,337,665

6                      FY1995                      1,295,559

7                      FY2001                     1,291,667

8                      FY2012                      1,270,161

9                      FY2000                      1,269,172

10                    FY2007                      1,223,290

11                   FY2006                      1,217,111

12                   FY2005                      1,210,147

13                   FY1998                      1,204,268

14                   FY2008                      1,179,246

15                   FY2010                      1,170,857

 

Source: Guam Customs Declaration Forms.

Processed by the Guam Visitors Bureau

Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer