Brief Chat
Carl TC Gutierrez
Reviving tourism against all odds
By Phillip V. Cruz Jr.
On June 24, the Guam Visitors
Bureau launched an online campaign
designed to reassure visitors
that Guam was a safe and healthy
destination. A GVB video titled “Visit
Guam Safely” begins with greetings
from former governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez,
in his signature sunny yellow shirt,
and features the local mascot Che’lu the
Ko’ko’ Bird demonstrating to travelers
what they can expect when they come
to Guam in the “new Covid-19 safe
environment.”
“As we begin to settle into the new
normal, our island is starting to reopen
but still living with the threat of
Covid-19,” Gutierrez said in the GVB
video. “Guam’s visitor industry partners
are already implementing proper
processes and protocols to make Guam
Covid safe. It’s best to showcase what
Guam is doing to stay safe particularly
as we gear up for the lifting of travel
bans and quarantines.”
The GVB campaign was launched in
preparation for the reopening of Guam
tourism, which Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero
originally set for July 1. Two days after
the campaign’s launch, however, the
governor was compelled to backpedal
after the Guam Department of Public
Health and Social Services reported
14 Covid-19 positive cases, the largest
number in a single day. The alarming
number has prompted the governor to
push back the reopening of tourism.
When will it really be safe for Guam
to bring the tourists back? When will the
travel demand start picking up? More
important, how will Guam compete with
coronavirus-free tropical destinations in
the Pacific region?
Taking Guam tourism to the recovery
path is a task assigned to Gutierrez, who
took the helm of GVB following the
retirement of Pilar Lujan.
“Governor Leon Guerrero appointed
me interim president and CEO for a period
of 90 days,” said the former governor.
“My mission is to work cooperatively
with all stakeholders to safely reopen
Guam’s visitor industry.”
Gutierrez was a two-term governor,
serving from 1995 to 2003. He governed
Guam during the heyday of the island’s
tourism in the 1990s.
This year, tourism is facing unfamiliar
challenges. In accordance with the
governor’s directive, travelers from
Covid-19 hotspots, such as the Philippines,
will be quarantined in government
facilities for 14 days upon arrival
to Guam. “We will monitor Covid-19
infection rates in our Japan and South
Korea source markets, and we can adjust
travel requirements to mitigate risk,”
Gutierrez said.
The visitor industry is now laying the
groundwork to court back the island’s
primary source markets, including Japan,
South Korea and Taiwan, Gutierrez said.
He said he plans to rebuild the arrival
numbers while executing a reimagined
vision that is more deeply rooted in
Guam’s unique culture and history. He
said Guam has a compelling story to
Two days after the campaign’s launch, however,
the governor was compelled to backpedal after
the Guam Department of Public Health and
Social Services reported 14 Covid-19 positive
cases, the largest number in a single day. The
alarming number has prompted the governor to
push back the reopening of tourism.
tell, which he said he will narrate to
the world to attract the spending power
of the affluent and more discerning
travelers.
With high-end hotels, such as Dusit
Thani and The Tsubaki Towers, Gutierrez
said, “we began turning the corner
toward a new destination experience.”
Gutierrez believes this development
trend will spur demand for restless
Asian travelers, who seek to experience
a refreshed “Destination Guam,” while
remaining accommodation capacities
are fulfilled by the arrival of thousands
of U.S. Marines and their families in
the coming years. “Our men and women
in uniform and their dependents will
also want modern hotel accommodations
before they settle into their new
residences on and off base,” Gutierrez
added.
But first things first. “That means
making our island clean, green, and
welcoming and keeping it that way,”
said Gutierrez, who is also the governor’s
chief advisor for economic
development and national and international
affairs. “Embracing the spirit of
welcome means identifying funding
for capital improvements, as well as encouraging
and incentivizing hoteliers,
restaurateur, and optional tour operators
to upgrade their facilities.”
Guam’s tourism industry is the island’s
top economic driver, directly and
indirectly supporting more than 21,000
jobs. In 2019, Guam welcomed a record
1.6 million visitors to its shores. When
Covid-19 reached Guam’s shores on
March 15, the island’s tourism industry
came to a halt bringing the island’s
economy to a standstill.
“We just can’t do things the old way
anymore,” Gutierrez said. “So, we’re
finding new ways of reducing the
friction to make everyone feel as safe,
served and cared for as possible.”
Gutierrez added that travelers need
reassurance that their travel, arrival,
customs processing, terms of stay and
home-return experiences will be as
seamless and enjoyable as possible.
People have adapted to the pandemic
realities, and they are now adjusting to
a safeguarded pandemic winddown. But
the prospect of certain activities like air
travel and destination exploration are
fraught with potential hassles, long waits
and fears of the unknown about viral
patterns. That’s because the world has
been scrambling to adjust to “the new
normal” and eliminate inconveniences.
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