At the Dusit Thani Guam Resort, tourism leaders laid it out clearly: Access to Guam is under pressure.

Guam Visitors Bureau President and CEO Regine Biscoe Lee pointed to a global fuel shock driving up the cost of travel and cutting into flight options to the island.

“In one of our largest markets, seat capacity has dropped by more than 20 percent in a single month. Nearly 8000 seats are gone. Flights are being reduced. Routes are under pressure. And at the same time, fuel surcharges have jumped from $50 to nearly $150 per ticket almost overnight,” said Lee.

Since the Middle East conflict began, she says the cost to get visitors to Guam nearly doubled before they even step foot on a plane.

“So a family who could afford a trip to Guam last month can’t today,” added Lee.

GVB has been rolling out airline incentives, already committing about $2 million, but the president says it could take more than $7 million to fully offset the impact.

Her comments come as Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio urges GVB to think outside the box with airline incentives to attract visitors, saying now is the time to be bold.

“The Japanese and the Koreans have been traveling to the Middle East and Europe for quite some time. They’re not going to be traveling there anymore,” said Lt. Gov. Tenorio. “Spend now. Let’s advertise and bring people here and fill those rooms. That’s something the governor and I were talking about with Regine. But I really do think we need to do it now. The legislature is not going to reward you for saving your money all the way through September 30.”

This as GVB is looking at ways to attract a different kind of visitor, introducing a new “Welcome to Wellness” campaign.

It was introduced during the meeting as part of a broader push into wellness and sports tourism.

“With these major events, we are truly in a position to establish ourselves as a premier wellness destination,” said GVB Public Information Officer Lisa Bordallo.

Built for both residents and visitors, the month-long initiative kicks off in April with the Ko’Ko Weekend and Tour of Guam as its key cornerstones.

From outdoor workouts and ocean activities to cultural experiences, the goal is to build on what Guam already offers and turn it into a reason to travel here.

“The moment you land here on Guam, there is a sense of (exhalation). The land, the culture, the hafa adai spirit — I think we have all the components for it. Now it’s going to be an exciting next era for Guam, with the focus from GVB as well, to really position the same as anywhere else you would go for a wellness retreat, Guam has that magic too,” said Liv Marati with Ina Wellness.

Lawmakers are also looking at long-term solutions. They recently passed Bill 228, a $250,000 tax incentive package for businesses to beautify Guam's look.

“We all know that visitors judge us the moment they arrive,” said Sen. Jesse Lujan.

All of this comes as costs continue to rise across the board, with fuel prices surging and putting additional pressure on government resources and as DFS closes its doors marking the end of one era.

Tourism leaders say the industry is now at a turning point.

“I have full confidence that we will rise to this challenge with fresh ideas and a renewed vision for our tourism industry and I know our best days are not behind us, but they are being built by us right now,” added Lujan.

“What we do now holds the line. So let me be very clear, we are not waiting. We have a plan and we will execute it,” said Lee.