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(Tumon, Guam) — The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) today announced a successful close to 2025, marking a significant milestone in the island’s economic reset.
December visitor arrivals achieved significant double-digit growth, setting the highest record since the pandemic. This achievement firmly reinforces tourism's vital role as the island's primary economic engine and signals a robust and optimistic future for Guam’s visitor industry.
The strong December performance continues a 7-month-long trend demonstrating clear and sustained upward momentum in Guam's visitor industry, and comes on the heels of yesterday’s economic address by Governor Lou Leon Guerrero to the Guam Chamber of Commerce in which she emphasized Guam’s visitor economy today is still worth $1.5 billion annually and supports more than 14,000 jobs.
Detailed analysis of the 2025 arrival numbers shows that key source markets contributed positively to the increase, reflecting the success of GVB’s marketing and promotional strategies.
The sustained growth is attributed to several key factors, including the successful implementation of new direct flight services, strategic partnerships with major international tour operators, and highly effective marketing campaigns targeting high-yield travel segments. Furthermore, the recovery indicates renewed consumer confidence in international travel and a high demand for safe, unique, and culturally rich island experiences, which Guam consistently delivers.
The economic impact of these increased arrivals is significant, providing a much-needed boost to local businesses, supporting thousands of jobs across the island, and contributing substantially to the government's tax revenue. As Guam looks ahead to 2026, GVB remains committed to maintaining this upward trajectory by focusing on sustainable tourism practices, enhancing the overall visitor experience, and further strengthening partnerships both domestically and internationally.
December 2025 Highlights: A Year-End Surge
December 2025 proved to be an exceptionally strong month for the island, welcoming a total of 95,141 visitors. This figure represents civilian visitor arrivals by air—a remarkable 41.6% increase compared to December 2024. The strong finish was primarily driven by exceptional growth in key source markets:
Korea: 51,757 arrivals, a +65.4% increase from December 2024.
Japan: 29,397 arrivals, a +24.4% increase from December 2024.
Philippines: 1,733 arrivals, a +37.5% increase from December 2024.
The significant increases, particularly from Korea and Japan, underscore the successful efforts in regaining market share and expanding air service capacity. After a shortage of aircraft seat capacity and other factors hindering visitor arrivals in the beginning of the year, Guam added new direct service, including the new flights from Taipei and Cebu.
Full-Year and Fiscal Year Performance
The strong December performance contributed positively to the overall annual and fiscal results, showcasing a recovery trajectory as follows:
Calendar Year 2025 Total Arrivals:
781,532, representing a +5.8% increase over 2024 arrivals.
Fiscal Year 2026 to Date (FYTD) Arrivals (October to December 2025):
227,664, marking a significant +30.4% increase compared to the same period in Fiscal Year 2025.
A Promising Outlook
“How people travel is changing. What they expect from destinations is changing. How retail functions within tourism economies is changing,” the Governor told the business community on Wednesday, adding “That does not signal the end of tourism. It signals a shift in what tourism demands. This moment does not ask us to defend the past. It asks us to compete in the present and the numbers released by GVB demonstrate we are doing so.”
“The numbers speak for themselves; 2025 was a dynamic year for Guam tourism, capped by an extraordinary performance in December,” said GVB President & CEO Régine Biscoe Lee. “This rebound is a testament to the resilience of our industry partners, the unwavering dedication of the GVB team, and the welcoming spirit of the people of Guam. We are not just recovering; we are setting new benchmarks, growing sustainably, and positioning Guam as a premier Pacific destination.”
The Guam Visitors Bureau remains committed to improving our product and continuing aggressive marketing and promotional strategies to ensure this momentum is sustained throughout 2026.
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