Guam welcomed 58,021 Japanese visitors in the month of January, showing a 40.6 percent boost in the Japan market over last year, according to the Guam Visitors Bureau.
GBV attributed part of the success to the GVB and the Guam International Airport Authority's airline incentive program. United Airlines will continue to offer 11 weekly flights between Nagoya and Guam during the winter period due to strong travel demand. The airline also announced it will add nine extra flights on its Boeing 737 aircraft between Narita and Guam that will start Mar. 31. Additionally, T'way also began its Nagoya-Guam service on Dec. 29 and will continue through October.
Airlines have committed to 47 charter flights to Guam for Golden Week, which will run between Apr. 28-May 6. Guam had seven charters last year for Golden Week.
Through the airline incentive program, Japan Airlines committed for one year to twice daily flights between Narita and Guam with its 767-300ER aircraft that began in March 2018. However, it will begin operating a bigger 777-300 aircraft with 113 additional seats to accommodate travel demand to Guam.
“We thank all our airline and travel agent partners for their continued commitment to Guam. We anticipate record-breaking arrivals through this winter season,” said GVB President and CEO Nathan Denight.
Additionally, Guam is scheduled to receive over 670 charters that will commit around 125,215 seats for the Japan market alone in Calendar Year 2019 versus 464 charters that totaled 84,946 seats in CY 2018.
Korea arrivals experienced a slight increase (+0.1 percent) finishing with 69,295 visitors in January 2019. “GVB will continue to closely monitor the Korean market, which has seen significant growth over the last several years,” said GVB Acting Director of Tourism Research Nico Fujikawa. “As Korean arrivals begin to level-off, it is crucial to maintain a healthy sustainable growth going forward, as well as look to new potential markets to further develop.”
Other markets that showed continued growth and diversification in January 2019 arrivals to Guam include Taiwan (+8.7 percent), China (+6.3 percent), Philippines (+33.3 percent), the Russia Federation (+25.9 percent), and Hong Kong (+10.5 percent), Australia (+76.8 percent) and Europe (+9.3 percent), Singapore (+25 percent), and Malaysia (+400 percent).