I had the privilege of talking to a number of local entrepreneurs
recently on how the Guam tourism market is responding to the newest and highest
potential market-Russia.
With the recent addition of the Russians to travel into Guam
and enjoy our island and hospitality there have been many an observation and
actions are quickening to accommodate.
With just over 9 Million outbound travelers from North Eurasia seeking
significant leisure time this past year, we can surely tap off a percentage of
this business and further diversify Guam's visitor industry.
Russians travel to
Turkey, Egypt and China. Much of the reason-cost. Travel to Spain and Greece is
increasing. Much of the interest in
those two markets is primarily driven by relaxed entry and re-entry policies.
Also, Middle East low budget tour packages are also enticing more and more
Russians to their respective locales each and every day.
Guam tourist industry folks are scrambling to gain more
visitors from Russia.
We offer a warm
and friendly place to visit. Right now
it is a warm 77 degrees Fahrenheit in Vladivostok. In the coming months, those temperatures will
drop. Russian travelers take many of
their cues to leave the cold and see the world that that time. In Guam, it is currently 84 degrees Fahrenheit-frankly
it is the same temperature year round.
Our tourist district is relative safe.
Sand and surf abound. Luxury
shopping is there for those seeking goods from American and from all over the
world for that matter. The food here is
great. World fare or even the local
cuisine is showcased all around.
Sounds good?
It is.
But something is missing.
Most hoteliers since 2012 have come face to face with the
reality that the Russia visitor spends more time in a room in Guam than any
other of the visitors to our shores. The
average stay according to local government and private experts is about three
weeks. Compare that long stay to two to
five days for Guam's number one tourist base-Japan. The lengthy stays means bullish property
owners and managers are making key upgrades to rooms to keep our Russian
visitors happy and likely to return. Amenities
associated with longer stays continue to be researched and surveys are yielding
quicker action among the tourist elite here.
Folks I spoke with on this matter are greatly encouraged by the new
market. With the new market will surely
come with new products, services and interest in Magnificent Micronesia as a
whole. We cannot expect that the best
kept secret in the Western Pacific to be that way for long.
China and its 20 million outbound travelers
by 2020 is still a carrot our island tourism industry is hoping to tap-even in
a small way. One percent of that to Guam would be a boom.
We all should keep an eye on the surging Russian tourist
market. It is imperative to do so if we
want to further diversify and build our isolated economy of which 60 percent is
dependant of this key industry.