Bill to require board's approval for Guam Visitors Bureau's travels
- Admin
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 8 minutes ago
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Sen. Jesse A. Lujan has announced a bill requiring the board of directors' approval for all official travels by Guam Visitors Bureau officials.
"It is a commonsense reform that puts accountability and transparency where it belongs, at the board level,” Lujan said after introducing Bill 279-38.
Lujan said the measure was prompted by conversations with the board's chairman and members during a meeting in January.
"Several GVB board members have raised concerns that the issue is less about travel itself and more about process, visibility and governance," said the chair of the tourism committee.
"They’ve shared frustration that, while they want to see GVB succeed and actively support efforts to rebuild tourism, the board’s ability to provide meaningful oversight can feel limited when key initiatives, including travel, appear to move forward without prior board-level discussion," Lujan said.
In some instances, he added, board members learned about major activities through press releases or public announcements, rather than through regular board meetings and briefing materials.
This situation, Lujan said, "creates a perception that the board is being asked to 'own' outcomes without having a consistent opportunity to review the underlying decisions in advance."
The Office of Public Accountability's July 2025 report showed that GVB's travel expenses went up from $510,444 in 2023 to $594,706 in 2024.
"I have spoken with at least two former GVB general managers and CEOs who noted that board approval for travel was historically part of standard governance and internal controls," Lujan said.
"At some point, that guardrail was removed and the perception among board members and, frankly, among stakeholders and the general public is that restoring it is a reasonable step to reinforce accountability and rebuild trust," he added.
The bill's goal is not to block mission-driven travel; rather, it is to ensure travel funded by public dollars is aligned with strategy, discussed transparently and approved through the appropriate governing body, Lujan said.
The bill, he said, is intended as "a clear, practical step to strengthen governance and oversight."
“If travel is truly necessary to support Guam’s tourism recovery, it should be justified, documented and approved," Lujan said. "This is one step in what will be a broader series of reforms anticipated at the Guam Visitors Bureau."
He added that the measure's goal is to ensure GVB is "mission-focused, results-driven, and operating with the transparency the public expects. Public funds must be used responsibly and in the best interest of Guam’s people.”
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