The US island territory of Guam is a popular tourist destination, loved for its natural environment year round...and it’s got a lot to offer shop-a-holics. Lee Hee-jung reports.
Guam, located in the west Pacific, is a relatively short 4 hour flight away from Korea. Coral beaches line the island, making for a breathtaking sight.
Thanks to its mild climate, tourists can enjoy the island’s beaches and watersports activities throughout the year.
Guam is also known to be safe and family friendly.
[INTERVIEW]
Kim Ji-hyun, Kwon Soon-oh / Korean tourists
Compared to Jeju, which seems crowded with local and Chinese tourists, it’s quieter in Guam, so I feel more relaxed.
김지현, 권순오 한국관광객
"제주는 국내 관광객들과 중국관광객들이 많아서 사람이 많다라는 느낌이 드는 반면에 괌은 한가한 느낌이 들어서 좀 더 편한것 같아요."
Guam is not only a great travel destination for beach-lovers and watersports-enthusiasts… it’s a shopper’s paradise.
With duty-free status across the entire island, tourists can buy a wide variety of American goods at low prices. Although Guam is not a US state, it is US territory. And the number of visitors to the island continue to grow each year.
In 2014, over 1.3 million tourists visited the island.
[Camera] Kim Yong-min
Japanese vacationers made up the largest proportion of visitors to Guam at 810,000 followed by Korean tourists at 300,000. The number of Chinese tourists stood at a mere 16,000 last year but is expected to rise significantly this year as China and the US have agreed on a visa extension for Chinese tourists.
[INTERVIEW]
Bart Jackson / Guam Hotel & Resort Assn. Korea Marketing Comm.
바트 잭슨:괌 관광청 한국마케팅위원회 회장>
(English)
[reporter]
Lee Hee-jung
The tourism industry in Guam reaps profits worth 2 trillion won every year.
The island’s pristine natural environment and shopping experience keep tourists coming back.
Lee Heejung KCTV