Monte Mesa: squabble at GVB will work itself, leaders want same result for Guam's tourism industry

Guam Travel & Tourism Association spokesman Monte Mesa weighed-in on the current tensions between the Guam Visitors Bureau's board and president, and CEO Carl Gutierrez. Mesa believes its just a difference of opinion on strategy, particularly which markets to focus on.

"I think that they’ll work this out because what GVB does is very important in bringing our overseas travelers from both or from three markets - Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as well," Mesa explained. "I think there is an opportunity to grow Taiwan as well; it's not a big market like Japan or Korea, and I think that the boardmembers, I guess, will work that out."

If anything he says it’s a sign that the board members and management are fully committed to tourism recovery, which is what they’re supposed to do.

"The controversies within the board has always been a topic of discussion, because that’s how people get engaged. If they’re not passionate about what they should do they shouldn’t be sitting on that board," he added. "In this case, everybody’s passionate about what they want to do and what they wanna see done and it just brings it to be better because people and that’s why we want to collaborate with them, as well."

He says he hopes the industry as a whole can come to an agreement about what needs to be changed in Guam tourism in the months and even years ahead.

Today, GTTA made its media debut today where they shared their goal to sustain, improve and grow Guam’s visitor industry. It also wants small businesses, that lack resources, to have access to information, to get planning help. 

"We need to properly gear up commercial operations and be ready for a more expansive return of visitors as the rest of Asia begins to reopen," Chairperson Jovyna Lujan said. "In the new norm, we need to challenge ourselves at creating a more seamless and secure travel experience for our visitors. We need to look out and consider how travel will be impacted over the next three to five years and how do we ensure that our industry will remain viable and competitive."

She said Guam now has the opportunity to reimagine the island’s tourism industry into something better than it was before. she added that the gtta’s intent is to collaborate with other local businesses, small and large, to help with the island’s economic recovery.