Guam: The Only US Territory Attending MITT
The island of Guam, a little spot in the huge Pacific Ocean, combines natural exoticism, thousand-year-old traditions and other unique identity signs, but it stood out during the recent edition of Moscow’s MITT as the only US territory attending such important trade show at the Russian capital.
Despite that odd circumstance, Mark Manglana, Marketing Director of Guam Visitors Bureau, participated in MITT 2016 in a bid to catch the eye of Russian tour operators and the rest of important nations that send travelers to distant destinations, Spain among them.
The first European sailor to step on the island, back in 1521, was Portuguese Fernando de Magallanes, who was at Spain’s service and flagged the islands on behalf of King Carlos 1st. Magallanes called them Islands of Thefts after his boat was taken away during a rumpus with the natives.
The Spanish presence on the island lasted three centuries and, after the Hispanic-US war, as a result of the Paris Treaty signed in 1898, Spain gave Guam to the United States.
Manglana told CND readership that Guam has a population of 170,000 people, who are US citizens due to the special status of non-autonomous territory of the Union.
The island harbors two important US military bases, Apra naval base, which provides logistic support to the Fifth and Seventh fleets, and Andersen air base.
Hatgana is the capital city, a name derived from Spanish original “Agaña”. We have similarities in terms of gastronomy, numbers, and the alphabet. We speak English, but count in Spanish. Our songs and dances are also similar, Manglana said.
The strategic position of Guam, a three-hour flight and two-day sail from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and other points of the western Pacific Ocean turned it into a popular destination for Japanese, Korean and Chinese tourists.
Some 20 big hotels, a DFS gallery, Pleasure Island Aquarium, and other shopping and amusement destinations help Tumon stand out as the main tourism city. “We receive nearly 1.3 million visitors a year,” the Marketing Director of Guam Visitors Bureau pointed out.
Guam is strengthening its position as a weekend tropical destination, for travelers coming from nearby nations. “They come from all over the world, mainly from Japan, Korea, United States and Taiwan,” Manglana detailed.
Do you receive tourists from Europe?
We don’t have many tourists from Europe.
How about Russia?
With the present situation, we don’t get many Russian visitors either, but I think that this year we’re about to welcome some 3,500 Russian tourists, he underlined.
This was the second time Manglana attends MITT. His goal is “to keep on promoting Guam in Russia in order to attract families and people interested in enjoying a nice, friendly and warm environment. Guam is a US territory and it’s open to business.
“The island of Guam is ready to deal with all types of travelers. We tell those who don’t have too much budget that they won’t have to pay taxes in Guam. Everybody can buy high-end or low-end products. There are no taxes.
As for the ways to travel to Guam, for example, from Europe or Spain, he noted that “Guam receives non-stop flights from several countries, like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
