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(Tumon, Guam) - The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) announced today that Guam has had a significant surge in popularity among Japanese travelers for the 2025–26 winter holiday season, securing Top 3 and 4 placements across several major travel-interest rankings in Japan.
Recent data from VELTRA, one of Japan’s largest activity booking platforms, places Guam at No. 3 among the most popular overseas destinations — its strongest ranking in recent years – indicating a strong recovery as a preferred short-haul beach resort for Japanese travelers.
Meanwhile, the leading travel-comparison site Travelko reported Guam at No. 4 for overseas travel searches during the peak November–December travel window. Searches increased to about 120% year-over-year, showing continued interest in Guam.
These consistent high rankings highlight Guam’s growing visibility and renewed appeal in Japan’s competitive outbound travel market.
Digital Strategy Drives Strong Market Recovery
In its effort to accelerate post-pandemic recovery, GVB and its Japan team have executed a major digital transformation, focusing on performance-driven conversion advertising. By directing travelers straight to booking-enabled online travel agencies (OTA) and metasearch pages, the strategy shortens the path to purchase and improves booking efficiency. This enhanced digital approach is directly contributing to Guam’s rising popularity in Japan’s winter travel rankings.
“Our data-driven strategy is paying off. Japanese consumers are responding strongly to streamlined booking experiences and Guam’s compelling value proposition,” said GVB President & CEO Regine Biscoe Lee. “The momentum we are seeing, with double-digit year-over-year growth, is the clearest sign yet that Guam’s is back as a preferred destination for Japanese travelers.”
Why Japanese Travelers Are Choosing Guam
Current travel insights indicate several factors fueling Guam’s strong demand:
~ Quick, easy travel — approx. 4-hour flight with only a 1-hour time difference
~ Exceptional value — competitive pricing even during peak travel periods
~ Desire for meaningful, memorable travel experiences
~ Guam’s revitalized brand direction, resonating strongly with Japan’s family, couple, and millennial segments
GoGo Guam Håfa Adai Campaign 2026 Accelerates Demand
To further stimulate interest this season, GVB launched the GoGo Guam Håfa Adai Campaign 2026 in November 2025. This initiative is a two-pronged program consisting of Guam Pay and Guam Bonus offering visitors greater value and enhancing the overall travel experience.
The Guam Pay program involves collaborating with travel agents to distribute digital coupons to travelers. These coupons are redeemable at local businesses, including restaurants, shops, golf courses, and activity providers across Guam, and serve to incentivize customers to purchase travel packages to Guam.
The Guam Bonus program offers discounts from local industry partners from December 1 - September 30th as posted on the GVB Japan website (gogoguam.jp99), providing added value for travelers.
GVB has been running this program since 2023, piloting enhancements this year for 2026, specifically by increasing the number of participating OTAs and expanding their involvement in the Guam Pay initiative.
Visitor Arrivals Continue to Climb
Japan arrivals for September 2025 reached 19,904 travelers, representing a 31.6% year-over-year increase. This steady growth underscores the effectiveness of GVB’s digital investments and strategic OTA partnerships.
Positive Outlook for 2026
With strengthened partnerships, high-performing conversion marketing, and increasing consumer interest, GVB projects continued gains in both brand awareness and visitor demand throughout FY2026.
“Guam is entering a new phase of growth in the Japan market,” concurs GVB Board Director and Japan Marketing Committee Chairman Ken Yanagisawa. “We will continue investing in smart digital strategies and industry collaboration to ensure that momentum grows even further in 2026.”
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