Tumon, Guam - Guam welcomed 114,446 visitors in January, the highest arrival number since August 2001. This is a 12 percent increase over January 2004 when arrivals totaled 101,809. The increase includes double digit gains in arrivals from Korea (14,585 visitors, representing a 52 percent increase compared to January 2004); Japan (88,977 Japanese tourists, a 12 percent increase) and the U.S. mainland/Hawaii (21 percent gain, 4,296 visitors).

Preliminary numbers in February show that Guam welcomed 109,628 visitors, excluding armed forces sea arrivals. Guam Visitors Bureau General Manager, Tony Lamorena attributed the slight drop � two percent �this February to only one U.S. Navy air carrier stopping on Guam compared to February 2004 when two carrier groups came to Guam. However, he also pointed out that civilian air arrivals were up three percent this February with 101,512 visitors coming by air versus 98,802 last year.

Among the markets that showed gains were Japan with a four percent gain over last February (80,955 arrivals); Taiwan with a double digit increase of 79% or 3,200 visitors (attributable to the extra charter flights during the Lunar New Year week of February 7 to 12), the U.S. mainland was up seven percent (3,423 arrivals) and the Philippines, 9 percent with 547 visitors. Fiscal year-to-date (October 2004 through February 2005), Guam has welcomed 502,433 tourists. Total arrivals calendar year-to-date in the first two months of 2005 number 224,074. Visitor statistics collected and compiled by GVB Market Research department show that visitor numbers, excluding sea arrivals, through March 8, 2005 drew a 7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2004. Taking the total March civilian air arrival figure of 26,896 into account, the calendar year-to-date numbers through March 8 stand at 242,657 visitors.

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For more information: Letitia Law-Byerly, Public Information Officer Guam Visitors Bureau Tel: 671-648-1512 Fax: 671-646-8861 Email: llawbyerly@visitguam.org Guam Visitors Bureau Setbision Bisitan Guahan