The Guam Visitors Bureau headquarters is located in Tumon.
Photo by David Castro/The Guam Daily Post
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Turning the tide in Guam’s tourism is the challenge that Guam Visitors Bureau’s new general manager, Regine Biscoe Lee, and the GVB recovery committee signed up for. With the former senator at the helm, GVB board members expressed a sense of renewed confidence in collaboration to pursue initiatives aimed at boosting tourist arrival numbers and re-establishing Guam as the premier travel destination in the region.
The meeting on Monday provided an update on what GVB’s recovery committee has been working on to help attract more tourists to Guam. One idea on the table is a rebrand of Pleasure Island, the district of Tumon running from DFS Galleria to SandCastle along Pale San Vitores Road.
“Nobody uses the name, and so I think it’s a great opportunity for us to rebrand Pleasure Island. So, Coco Village or Coco Street, something along those lines,” Recovery Committee Chair Mark Baldyga said, noting he was one of the founders of the Pleasure Island brand.
The idea, although not new, is to hold weekly block parties.
“So, the idea is to do this every Sunday in a different way, every Sunday. I’ve already gotten buy-in from the (Dusit Thani) and DFS,” Baldyga said.
He reported that DFS has already agreed to allow the use of one of its spaces for a security office and lost and found. He also noted that quality restrooms would be brought in for the events.
“And if we do this — and I know from doing a lot of events myself — the cost and time and trouble to do a one-day event or a recurring event is almost the same. But once you set it up and it starts going, you get better and better at it and refine it. So, I think doing this every Sunday has a lot of merit,” Baldyga said.
To be fair to the tenants of the district and to keep the events family friendly, the board is considering limiting liquor service to tenants with sidewalk frontage.
“They can expand their seating onto the sidewalk. So, the alcohol will be on the sidewalk of those tenants, and then all the food, beverage, the activities, the arts and crafts, and so forth in the street,” Baldyga said.
There was also a suggestion that fireworks be held every weekend. Baldyga said they would “figure it out.”
Baldyga noted they hope to launch the rebrand on the July 4 holiday weekend.
Monday marked the first meeting for Lee, who received a warm welcome from GVB board members focused on the path forward with her in the management role.
“I’m really excited to have you here,” GVB Board Chair George Chiu said.
Lee, who was hired by the board, started in her new role almost three weeks ago.
“First off, I just want to thank the board members for your support and for my selection. I’m really happy to be here; happy to work with our team, our management and our staff. It’s been a really interesting first three weeks, but definitely hitting the ground running,” Lee said.
