SEOUL, KOREA - The Guam Visitors Bureau said on January 24 that the number of Korean tourists visiting the western Pacific island last year was 245,650, up 34.4 percent from the previous year. Oscar Miyashita, chairman of the Guam-Korea Marketing Council, said the main reason for the increase was the launch of low-cost airlines such as Jeju Air and Jin Air.

 

Mr. Miyashita said, "In addition to flights from Incheon, the new flights originating from Busan have made it easier for Korean visitors to travel to Guam. We want to promote to Koreans that Guam is not just for tourism but for shopping, sports, and many many more."

 

Guam Visitors Bureau General Manager Karl Pangelinan commented that the visitors number this year from Korea would be over 260,000 and his agency would spend 40 percent more on marketing expenses this year to attract Korean tourists.