A Tourism Plan for Guam

According to the World Tourism Organization, tourism arrivals have grown by 6.5% annually between 1950 and 2005, and tourism receipts have grown by 11.2% annually in the same time period. By 2009, total receipts had grown to $852 billion (World Tourism Organization, 2009). Tourism is one of the top industries in many states within the United States as well as many countries in the world. Without a doubt, tourism can be a vital economic lifeline, oftentimes comprising the only major source of income for some communities. Guam, a United States island territory in the Pacific, relies heavily on tourism because it lacks the resources and space to seriously develop other industries. The continued prosperity of the Guamanian tourism sector is of the utmost importance for the continued economic prosperity of the population. However, several potentially devastating factors are looming just over the horizon, including a massive military buildup, overburdened and underfunded infrastructure, dwindling natural resources, and increased competition in the tourism market