It has not only been bad for Japan, but because of the problems surrounding the area, many people who were in positions of responsibility were not making decisions. So much could have been done and should have been done, but all that happened was that time passed and the threats seemingly are gone.
There is still much more that has to be done and the matters are not really coming to the forefront. The media is playing down the aftermath, and although we are not really hearing that much about it, the problems caused by the disasters are still there. The country probably never will completely recover from the devastation.
On Guam, we are and have for a couple of months been getting numbers similar to those prior to the earthquake in March. We may or may not get a million tourists for the year, but many in the visitor industry are smiling like they haven’t in quite some time. We all had a hard time following the disasters earlier this year. I want to congratulate the entire industry and their families for hanging in there and knowing that it was all going to come back eventually. Tourists are indeed a welcome sight once again.
FELIX AGUON
Quezon City and Guam
