Taiwanese prostitutes investigated

by Nick Delgado

Guam - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei is looking into reports of a large scale Taiwanese prostitution operation in Guam. Taiwan media reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has asked Taiwan's Investigation Bureau and National Police Agency to regulate Taiwanese tourists in Guam in an effort to curb the problem.

Guam Visitor's Bureau General Manager Joanne Camacho said, "As far as these little innuendoes, these little negative stuff we really don't like, although they exist we are really looking at promoting Guam as a destination of choice. These little things exist in any market, in any tourist destination so we can't get around that and it's a concern and we'll leave it to the authorities that are involved," she said.

The Republic of China and Taiwan's Consulate Office on Guam declined to comment, only stating it's an ongoing investigation. In the meantime, Camacho says Governor Eddie Calvo will head to Washington, DC next week to get an update on the China visa waiver for Guam.

GVB also notes preliminary arrival numbers for January show a 6.4 percent increase in visitor arrivals compared to last year. Ironically, those numbers are a result of the increased charter flights from China and Taiwan.