Guam government officials, including Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo and the Guam Visitors Bureau continue to seek answers from federal authorities.
GVB said is now working with community stakeholders to bring the China-Russia visa waiver issue to the community level, according to its deputy general manager Nathan Denight.
“The governor’s office, Congresswoman Bordallo, the Legislature, the Guam Chamber of Commerce, the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association and GVB have sent letters to the Department of Defense asking them for their favorable support of visa waiver status for Chinese and Russians,” he added.
“The tourism industry supports our military and believes that in order for Guam’s economy to grow, the two must co-exist,” he said.
Guam, however, was not included when parole authority was granted by the Department of Homeland Security to allow Chinese and Russian visitors into the CNMI.
Guam officials have reminded the U.S. government that the Consolidated Natural Resources Act “intended to grant Guam and the CNMI access to business and leisure travelers” from China and Russia.
Tourism industry accounts for more than 60 percent of Guam’s economy, and although the bulk of arrivals are from Japan, local officials and businesspersons believe that the island “must diversify its tourism industry, and the China market could provide the stimulus our declining economy needs.”
But they said the current visa situation puts Guam at a “disadvantageous position.”
Despite several written letters and appointments — or attempts to meet — with officials in Washington D.C., responses have expressed support for Guam, but no clear-cut answer has been given yet.
According to Denight, “We have recently learned that, contrary to what the community and political leaders of Guam have been consistently told, there are conflicting views on this issue within DOD.”
Military commanders on Guam “have said that there is no objection to this issue, yet the Office of Homeland Defense have indicated to DHS that DOD was opposed to the extension of parole or permanent inclusion of Chinese and Russian tourist into the VWP. This objection has prevented DHS from extending parole authority to Guam and to moving forward positively on visa waiver,” Denight said.
He said DHS indicated that a number of options were on the table and that a memorandum was being drafted for Secretary Janet Napolitano’s consideration.
DHS needs a single, unified opinion from DOD on extending parole authority to Guam and permanently allowing Chinese and Russian tourists under the visa waiver program.
