Image source : Hotels.com

Typhoon Mawar’s impact on Guam’s tourism industry is likely to be a negative factor for at least two years, the Guam Visitors Bureau said Tuesday. 

Mawar brought winds up to 140 mph to Guam, which is equal to the second most intense category of hurricanes. 

Tourism is an important part of Guam’s economy. The bureau predicted around 400,000 visits from tourists this fiscal year, compared to the 670,000 it had predicted. It has been predicted that 550,000 to 600,000 people will likely visit this fiscal year. 

I believe that a viable solution to increasing or sustaining the tourist population is increasing defense for strong typhoons. Currently, Guam has weak infrastructure that is susceptible to being damaged when a strong typhoon such as Mawar hits. Stabilizing these weak buildings will create stronger infrastructure in Guam which will lead to a more sustainable environment that is easy to take care of and more appealing to tourists. 

Guam is a sought out country to visit due to the beautiful land and scenery of the island. However, if buildings are not stabilized, they will break and cause massive amounts of debris that will impact the amount of trash in the ocean and seaside of Guam. Increasing the amount of stable infrastructure will ultimately lead to Guam’s trash and debris caused by typhoons to decrease, leading to a cleaner sea area, which will attract more tourists.

Reference:

Slavin, R. (2023, May 31). Typhoon’s hit to Guam tourism likely to last at least two years.