By Jolene Toves
For Variety
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Visitors Bureau and a dozen local businesses joined forces in Seoul to pitch Guam as a premier “Wellness Island” destination directly to Korean travelers at the 2026 Seoul International Travel Fair.
According to GVB, the four-day travel expo held from June 4 through 7, featured more than 515 booths representing 41 countries and regions. Officials used the event to position Guam as a wellness tourism destination highlighting the island’s blend of nature, culture, sports and relaxation.
“Guam’s visual presence at this year’s fair was exceptional, standing out among many other destinations and receiving many more guests asking for information about travel to Guam, especially (regarding) pricing and packages,” Annie Joo, director of sales and marketing for Baldyga Group said.
Joo was one of 12 delegates representing local industry partners who traveled to Seoul with GVB to market Guam.
“The Guam Pavilion featured 12 local partners representing the hotel, golf, and experiences sectors, including Dusit Thani Guam Resort, Baldyga Group, Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Guam, Pacific Islands Club Guam, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Hotel Nikko Guam, RIHGA Royal Laguna Guam Resort, The Tsubaki Tower, Stroll International, JP Superstore, Guam Plaza Resort & Spa, and the Korea Guam Travel Association. Participating partners provided one-on-one travel consultations for visitors throughout the event,” GVB said.
GVB and the delegation also engaged potential visitors through social media promotions, consumer surveys and interactive activities designed to increase awareness of Guam as a destination and promote local businesses that were unable to attend.
“We have about 30 members in the Korea Guam Travel Association who aren’t able to participate in these large events,” KGTA President Jong In Cheong said. “Representing them here and promoting more of our members’ activities, restaurants, hotels and other services to Korean travelers is a great opportunity for us.”
GVB also used the event to showcase Guam’s cultural appeal with officials leaning on “traditional performances” to provide attendees with an “immersive experience of our unique island culture and artistic heritage.”
During the event, Guam’s tourism marketing efforts were recognized with Guam receiving the fair’s “Best of the Best Marketing” award. In addition, GVB Board Director and Chairman of the Korea Marketing Committee, Ho Eun was awarded the 2026 SITF Eminent Tourism Pioneer Award which GVB said recognizes his contributions to the advancement of the global tourism industry and the expansion of tourism’s public value.
“Receiving these awards is a profound honor,” Eun said. “It reflects our collective dedication to elevating Guam’s profile in the global tourism landscape. We look forward to continuing our work to strengthen the bond and partnership between Guam, Korea and the rest of the world.”
Participation in the expo is part of GVB’s efforts to increase visitor arrivals following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, rising global jet fuel prices and subsequent air capacity issues, factors that officials called a “difficult combination of challenges” that caused a drastic dip in overall arrivals as compared to April 2025.
Post files show that during the May GVB board meeting, management reported that the largest declines in arrivals were concentrated in Korea and Japan, Guam’s two main source markets.
During that meeting, GVB reported a total of 36,818 visitors for April 2026. Of that total, 31.9% or 11,744 visitors came from South Korea. From a fiscal year perspective, according to GVB, visitors from Korea made up 46.5% with 219,831 visitors reported for the period of October 2025 to April 30, 2026.
