A pedestrian walks past the remnants of a damaged utility pole foundation during his stroll along Pale San Vitores Road in Tumon on March 31, 2025.
Tourism officials want to launch a weekly Sunday night market in Tumon with fireworks, food, crafts and entertainment, but the top priority for resuscitating the island’s visitor industry involves water blasting buildings, removing graffiti and fixing toilets.
“There’s no sense rushing a bunch of tourists here to see a decrepit destination,” said Mark Baldyga, chairman of the Guam Visitors Bureau’s recovery committee.
Baldyga, who on Monday delivered the committee’s first report to the bureau’s board of directors since the recovery plan was approved in December, said while tourism has rebounded worldwide, Guam’s visitor arrivals were still at less than 50% of 2019 levels.
Graffiti can be seen on the exterior of an abandoned spa near Hotel Tano in Tumon on March 31, 2025.
Travel restrictions – including quarantine regulations in source markets – were lifted about 2.5 years after the March 2020 COVID shutdown.
Seven months later, as Guam’s fragile recovery was underway, the island was smacked by Typhoon Mawar in May 2023.
“My own business, I had $7 million in damage,” said Baldyga, head of the Baldyga Group, which operates SandCastle restaurant and theater, The Beach Bar and Grill, Tao Tao Tasi Dinner Show, Club Zoh and other attractions. “You’ve got to make payroll and try to repair it.”
Tumon Sands Plaza is “practically vacant of retail stores,” he said. Other Tumon shops have limited operating hours, and some island attractions have never reopened from pandemic closures.
He said the situation was a “downward spiral.”
“There’s this vicious circle. Because the more things close, the fewer arrivals, the fewer arrivals, the harder it is for people to stay alive,” he said.
Maintenance of public and private buildings has suffered.
A box trailer parked outside the Fuji Ichiban restaurant in Tumon is seen tagged with graffiti on March 31, 2025.
He described the “product integrity” of Guam as a destination as “poor,” and showed slides of unappealing streetscapes and Tumon buildings in need of water blasting.
“I mean, this is our destination. We talk about why arrivals are down. You want to go here?” he said, showing a photo of a Tumon building. “I don’t want to go here. I don’t want to visit this destination.”
The problem extends beyond private businesses and beyond the tourism hub of Tumon.
“Public toilets need to be repaired. We need to get abandoned cars off the road,” he said. Streets need to be resurfaced. “Raising those manhole covers, which are a safety hazard for tourists who drive and aren’t expecting to hit a 2-inch deep pothole.”
He also described Guam’s market performance as “poor.”
Japan arrivals are down 70% from pre-pandemic levels, while they are down 30% worldwide. South Korea is down 50% here, while worldwide outbound South Korean tourism has made a complete recovery.
‘A new way’
The committee also proposed new attractions, including the Ko’ko Street Night Market, which would be reminiscent of the Pleasure Island block party.
He said visitors who arrive on Friday and stay for a few days aren’t able to experience the Wednesday night market at CHamoru Village, and the Tumon night market could provide a different experience.
“I think the entertainment component can be very strong here,” he added, with a stage area featuring “CHamoru weaving and dance lessons and that kind of thing. Do a line dance at the end.”
The launch is set for the weekend of July 4.
Weekly fireworks, like in Waikiki, could also be featured.
He said there is good news for the tourism industry – the island has numerous quality attractions and some significant new investments. But airline incentives need to be offered and fresh marketing approaches need to be implemented.
“It’s time to do things a new way,” he said.
New members
The board meeting was a first for new General Manager Régine Biscoe Lee. She delivered a market report at the beginning of the meeting comparing year-to-date arrivals in 2019 and 2025.
She noted the total arrivals so far this year are lower than the number of arrivals from South Korea alone at the same point in 2019.
Two new board members were also introduced – former General Manager Nate Denight and former Sen. Joanne Brown.
(8) comments
All the things we talk about (cleaning up abandoned cars, graffiti, abandoned buildings (which need strict enforcement to refurbish or demolish), crime etc.) are important to attract tourists but should also be important for island residents. No one wants to vacation in such a place nor should any of us be content living in one.
NEVER PAY BRIBES (deceptively called "INCENTIVES" by the GVB) TO LOW-COST, LOW-SAFTY KOREAN AIRLINES WHICH ABANDONDED GUAM AND THEIR GUAM EMPLOYEES DURING THE CHINESE VIRUS.
PAYING BRIBES to low-safety Korean airlines is a short-sighted waste of money.
A customer (or tourist) goes to shop at a store that is clean, reasonably-priced, and offers a pleasant experience.
If the store is surrounded by abandoned structures, graffiti, unsanitary areas, street people, and goods are not reasonably-priced, no amount of money you pay the customer to go there will ever make them want to go back there. (And, they will tell their family and friends to avoid that store.)
Use the AIRLINE BRIBE MONEY to CLEAN UP GUAM AND MAKE GUAM A MORE PLEASANT AND REASONABLE EXPERIENCE FOR TOURISTS.
Make our island beautiful, safe, and clean; make our beaches unpolluted; make accommodations reasonably priced; and make the island a pleasant experience for visitors. Make Guam the reason tourists come to Guam; NOT BRIBES TO Low-cost, Low-safety Korean Airlines!
This crappie island destination and it's decrepit state has been in this condition if not worse has been this way since lou and josh took over six years ago and I'm even more surprised that GVB is now calling this out. Only on Guam lol!
Mr Baldyga; great thinking but not just Sunday include Friday and Saturday. Maybe use the Ypao beach park for the weekends beach/block/fiesta party. Have the members of GHRA sponsor these events. We don't have to have a day that is significant, everyday is significant to restart this economy. Airline Incentives are a rip off. For the previous years, what are the yields for the past benefits of these airline incentives? Show data in order to restart this. As the saying goes, if you build/start it they will come. Some other ideas are needed like a botanical garden, LMS can surely do this and revive the Guam Zoo. The tourist with families need more to do at night. Mini Carnival would be good for games and food and souvenirs vendors. Matapang Beach is great location for this idea. Welcome back Nate. I hope the Sen Brown does put all the efforts as negative as she has always been and proven in the legislature. Let's do this GUAM!!!!
So...is Mrs. Biscoe-Lee a GM, a CEO, a President? Queen? Need some consistency. Personally, since it is a government agency, we should stick to Director. I'd hate to have to refer to the head of administration as PRESIDENT BIRNS. [beam][beam]
There are stories about visitors being detained in chains and green card holders being profiled and some being refused entry, not to mention mass cancellation of bookings. Is any of this going on or will it happen? Please keep the media involved because if things are bad now, it will only get worse and it would have nothing to do with Destination Guam, and everything to do with Destination Guam, USA.
You are straight up delusioned.
Need to come up for air bro
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.