Proposed visa-free entry for Filipino travelers projected to bring 25K new visitors to Guam

By Ron Rocky Coloma

The proposed inclusion of the Philippines in the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program is projected to bring 25,000 new visitors to Guam, resulting in roughly $11 million in direct spending a year during the initial implementation, according to a Guam economist.

Roseann Jones, an economist at the University of Guam economist, said the figure was a conservative estimate and does not account for additional tax revenue or potential benefits from expanded air service.

She said visitor numbers could increase, as would the annual spending, which is projected to balloon to $55 million over five years, as travelers become familiar with the program and airlines respond to demand.

According to Guam Visitors Bureau, the island received 13,551 visitors from the Philippines in 2024.

The Philippines’ inclusion in the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program is being proposed under H.R. 10341, the Marianas Tourism Advancement Act of 2026, recently introduced in Congress by CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds with Guam Del. James Moylan.

The proposal, pushed by Guam Sen. Jesse Lujan, comes as Guam and the CNMI continue efforts to strengthen tourism and diversify visitor markets, while officials simultaneously try to address federal concerns involving immigration enforcement, overstays and national security.

“This proposal is about short-term visits to Guam and the CNMI,” Lujan said at a press conference held Thursday at Guam International Airport. “It is not a work visa or a route to the rest of the United States. Let me repeat: This is not a work visa or a route to the rest of the United States.”

Besides the Philippines, the legislation would add India, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Mongolia to the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program, which allows eligible travelers to visit the U.S. Pacific territories for up to 45 days without obtaining a U.S. visa.

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Proponents focus on the Philippines, pointing to Guam's large Filipino community, proximity to the country and potential demand for family, sports and leisure travel.

King-Hinds said travelers admitted through the program would be limited to stays of up to 45 days. She said the legislation does not currently impose a specific limit on how frequently an individual could visit, although repeated travel patterns that suggest misuse could draw scrutiny from federal authorities.

“If you are coming in under the visa waiver program and are showing patterns of abusing this program, whereby you’re entering Guam or the CNMI using the visa waiver program, for example, flying in and then flying out to circumvent immigration laws, I think you’re going to get flagged,” King Hinds said.

Moylan said travelers would remain subject to federal screening, including electronic travel authorization and passport and law enforcement database checks.

"This legislation demonstrates that we can strengthen security while creating new opportunities for our people,” Moylan said.

The legislation grew partly from the Guam-CNMI-Philippines visa waiver Working Group, which brought government, tourism and economic officials together to examine traveler vetting, immigration enforcement, security and the economic implications of adding the Philippines.

Lujan said discussions with Philippine officials have included identity verification, information sharing and safeguards against overstays.

John Quinata, airport executive manager, said easier access could encourage airlines to expand beyond existing Manila service and consider routes from Cebu and Clark.

“We’re doing this, of course, because we want to get more air routes to the island,” Quinata said.

Philippine Tourism Undersecretary Stanley Ng, a former Philippine Airlines executive, said airlines need passenger traffic in both directions for routes to remain viable.

“For air connectivity to flourish, we really need both ways,” Ng said. “We have to co-promote each other and make this air connectivity sustainable.”

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Sen. Christopher Duenas said tourism's importance extends beyond traditional visitor businesses and could affect airport development, aviation employment and other industries.

“When we talk about tourism, it’s not just about hotels, hotel rooms and the corridors here at the airport,” Duenas said. “It’s about businesses and it’s about families.”

The Philippines is particularly significant because of Guam's demographic and family connections, supporters said.

Under the proposed system, eligible Philippine travelers would no longer need to complete the visa application process to visit Guam or the CNMI, although admission would remain subject to federal requirements.

Jones said reducing that barrier could make Guam more attractive for travelers deciding where to spend vacations or visit family.

“There’s a cost to the clearance of other visas, and there’s a drag in getting people who first say, ‘I want to come to Guam,’ and then the process that they have to go through in order to get here,” Jones said.

The economic stakes could be even greater in the CNMI, where tourism plays an especially large role and the economy does not have the same level of military-related activity seen on Guam.

Joe Guerrero, co-chair of the CNMI Governor's Council of Economic Advisers, said the legislation came at a crucial time. “The CNMI is challenged financially, government-wise, as well as in the private sector," he said.

King-Hinds similarly framed the legislation as an attempt to give the islands more control over their economic development rather than relying primarily on federal assistance.

“We need tools, and I don’t think anybody who’s sitting in the CNMI or Guam is asking for a hand up,” King-Hinds said. “What we have been asking for are tools.”

The bill faces an uncertain timeline in Washington.

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