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Oct 12, 2018, 12:57 pm

#106

wolfpacktrojan

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kenn0223

I don't claim to be an expert on Japanese culture but I am on-island at least once a month and get the impression that Guam is on the cheaper end of beach destinations for the Japanese (and Korean) visitors. It also seems to skew younger, especially over the last few years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hockeyinsider

There's no doubt that Guam is cheaper, although airfares were about the same when I used to fly there. Guam is also geographically closer to Japan, which means someone from Japan can visit Guam for a weekend as opposed to a longer stay as is common in Hawaii. Tokyo–Guam is about three hours whereas Tokyo–Hawaii is about eight hours. That's a huge difference. For example, the average Japanese visitor to Hawaii spends almost two weeks there. For Guam the average Japanese visitor stays 2–3 nights.

Guam definitely doesn't have as glamorous of an image as Hawaii and is a semi-budget destination. Guam visitors certainly skew younger; its often marketed as a getaway for younger couples. As hockeyinsider put it, it is more of a long-weekend type of destination for the Japanese, who generally have a difficult time taking longer PTOs anyway. The Japanese always have the islands of Okinawa to visit when they want to go somewhere tropical; they choose Guam when they can't quite afford a trip to Hawaii but want to travel somewhere "different".

Oct 12, 2018, 1:21 pm

#107

hockeyinsider

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Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfpacktrojan

The Japanese always have the islands of Okinawa to visit when they want to go somewhere tropical; they choose Guam when they can't quite afford a trip to Hawaii but want to travel somewhere "different".

And, most importantly, they want a slice of the American pie. In Hawaii, they rent Jeeps. In Guam, they rent Mustangs and Camaros.

It also helps that Guam doesn't have a sales tax so luxury goods are much cheaper than Tokyo. The number of high-ends on the strip in Guam is kind of surprising given the only major retailer for locals is Kmart. But even the Guam Kmart is a tourist destination.

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