Tenorio: Guam one of 3 priorities for Japan travel, arrival before pandemic expected in 2023 | News
Acting Gov. Josh Tenorio said Wednesday that Guam, South Korea and Taiwan are the top three priority areas for Japanese outbound travel that Japanese travel agencies are focusing on, which he said could bring Japanese visitors to Guam back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. year.
“They forecast that by the end of this calendar year, the number of inbound tourists from Japan will reach pre-COVID levels,” Tenorio said at the opening of a three-day conference hosted by the Guam chapter of the Institute of Government Accountants at the Westin Resort. Guam.
Acting Gov. Josh Tenorio spoke at the opening of the three-day Guam Professional Development Conference on Wednesday about Guam’s economic recovery, military expansion, equal pay and the number of Japanese tourists expected to return to Guam this year before the pandemic. The Accountants Guam Chapter will be held on February 8, 2023 at the Westin Resort, Guam.
In his welcoming remarks, Tenorio spoke of Guam’s overall economic recovery, which will benefit not only from tourism but also from $1 billion to $2 billion a year in military spending by 2030.
Increased economic activity has raised the importance of having a strong government accountant and financial sector, including ensuring pay equality, he said.
“GovGuam accountants are paid significantly less than their self-governing agency counterparts, averaging 31% less. Compared to the national average or average, they are paid 63% less than their peers at the national average,” Tenorio said at the Guam Career Development Conference explain. The AGA-Guam Chapter meeting concluded on Friday.
There has been both support and opposition to the Governor’s approval of a 22 percent pay adjustment for many Guam government employees.
Japanese travel agency
Regarding the recovery of the Japanese tourism market, Tenorio cited information from the Japan Association of Travel Agents, whose board members, led by chairman Hiroyuki Takahashi, held their first meeting in Guam from February 4 to 7.
“Although the recovery of overseas tourism from Japan is slower than we originally expected, we at JATA will lead the recovery of the Japanese overseas tourism market to cooperate in achieving a rapid recovery in the number of tourists to Guam. Together with the Guam Tourism Board and its members,” JATA’s Takahashi, who is also president of JTB, Japan’s largest travel agency, said in a statement released by GVB.
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He also said there were still some challenges ahead, such as a weaker yen, higher travel costs, soaring commodity prices at each destination, and typical Japanese caution about safety and security.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Guam received 664,784 tourists from Japan in fiscal year 2019.
But that number dropped to 324,574 in 2020, then dropped to a shockingly low 3,456 in 2021 and 13,022 in fiscal 2022, according to GVB data.
The GVB has been forecasting that 130,000 people will enter from Japan in fiscal 2023, about 20% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
“While these forecasts are conservative, the renewed commitment of JATA and Guam’s airline partners to promote Guam makes the return of the Japanese market very promising,” GVB said in a statement.
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More COVID restrictions eased
At the accountants conference, Tenorio said the Japanese government’s decision to reclassify COVID-19 as a common infectious disease, such as seasonal influenza, came into effect on May 8 and removed the requirement for COVID-19 negative certification, which also brought Optimism tests or proof of at least three vaccinations to re-enter Japan.
Like the Americans, the Japanese also “do have a lot of savings over time” due to the pandemic, Tenorio said after speaking at the conference, contributing to optimism about increased international travel by the Japanese.
GVB’s overall FY 2023 arrivals forecast for Guam is 670,000, compared to 216,915 in FY 2022, but would still be around 41% of pre-COVID-19 levels.
Tourists from South Korea are currently leading Guam’s tourism recovery, though numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels.
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GVB also has not resolved its nearly year-long leadership conflicts over the roles of the board and management and the validity of board members’ tenure, among other things.
Guam-Japan flights
The pandemic has limited flights from Guam to Japan. Japan Airlines is expected to return in the spring, GVB said.
The JATA board will consider developing the once-thriving Japanese student market for Guam, airline partnerships (including Japan Airlines’ resumption of flights in the spring), and sustainable development goals, the bureau said.
GVB President Carl Gutierrez said in a statement: “Over the past few decades, we have had a long-term partnership with JATA to develop and grow the Japanese market, which is evident as they also seek to increase the number of travelers traveling to and from Japan. service quality.”
JATA officials also met with Japanese Consul General Toshiyaki Kobayashi.
‘Stronger’
Tenorio told government accountants and other financial professionals that Guam is “generally in good shape.”
“We’ve survived a pandemic that’s stronger than many places, and certainly there aren’t many places that have to deal with a lot of attention from the U.S. government. The burden of peace is on our shoulders again, but you know it’s what we’re used to Yes,” Tenorio said.
Guam has played and will continue to play a key role in maintaining peace and security in the region, he said.
“Our role as leaders is to try to make sure we find every opportunity, including taking tax revenue from military contractors and reinvesting it, expanding and improving public services, just like increasing the wages of accountants, administrators and biologists Wait,” Tenorio said.
The acting governor said the revival of tourism and annual military spending has also created a host of problems, including increased housing costs, inflation and the need to improve infrastructure such as water and electricity.
“I see a lot of things going to fall on the shoulders of all the people in government because of the increased demand and the volume of transactions, so the best thing to do is get trained and be prepared,” he said.
Tenorio wants the Guam Chapter of the Institute of Government Accountants to expand its training program to executives and other government personnel.
Many times, the smallest errors in government transaction sourcing can lead to bigger problems with government budgets and procurement, so even non-accountants can benefit from accounting training programs, he said.
Florida to Guam
The AGA meeting brought to Guam the president of the National Association of Government Accountants, Melinda Miguel, who is Florida’s chief inspector general.
Miguel pointed to the importance of investing in infrastructure and a workforce that “uplifts everyone and makes sure we train across the board.”
Josie Villanuena, president of the Guam chapter of the Institute of Government Accountants, and Ricky Hernandez, deputy executive manager of the Guam International Airport Authority and co-chair of the association’s education committee, also spoke at the opening of the conference.
