NEW YEAR REVELERS CHARTER FLIGHTS TO GUAM

NEW YEAR REVELERS CHARTER FLIGHTS TO GUAM

Additional 5,000+ charter seats to ring in 2016 and

Lunar New Year in America in Asia

The U.S. island of Guam, America in Asia, is ringing in 2016 with charter flights from China, Korea, and Japan.

China Airlines and Korean Air added charter flights this week and United Airlines says it will add charters from Beijing in early February to bring celebrants for the Lunar New Year.  Charters are originating from several airports and cities, including Narita, Kansai, Incheon, and Beijing.

All three carriers are among the more than 13 airlines that have regularly scheduled service into Guam’s AB Won Pat International Airport (GUM).  The New Year charters are in addition to those regularly scheduled flights. The island is only a short 3-5 hours flying time from many of Asia’s major cities.

Guam had several record setting months for visitor arrivals in 2015 and the addition of charter flights at the start of 2016 can be seen as an indicator of continued growth in the year ahead.  The tropical US island is very popular as a year-round vacation destination for Japanese, Korean, Chinese and other visitors, and most especially so this time of year when these neighboring nations are experiencing winter weather conditions.

Guam’s robust tourism industry is also creating an ideal environment for EB5 investment opportunities. As the closest US soil to Asia, immigrant investors can have the best of all worlds when they consider projects in Guam, America in Asia. 

For example, local officials in Guam are planning for about 500,000 more visitors a year by 2020 and in order to meet demand generous tax breaks are being offered on new hotel room construction.  Resort condominium construction is also in the planning stages.  Project developers are considering EB5 investment with traditional equity and bank financing as part of their capital stack mix.

There is also expansion underway in retail shopping construction. Guam’s largest regional shopping center, Micronesia Mall, is adding more than 4,000 square meters on behalf of anchor tenant Macy’s.  The mall, which is owned by the Lucio Tan Group of Companies in the Philippines, is also constructing another shopping center in the heart of Guam’s Tumon Bay tourist district. 

Other retail and commercial developers are following suit and creating EB5 investment opportunities in the island known as America in Asia.  

Why America in Asia?  Because Guam is just one time zone ahead of Tokyo and Seoul and only two hours ahead of Taipei, Hong Kong and Beijing.  When it’s 10am in Guam it is 9am the same day in Tokyo and Seoul and 8am the same day in Taipei, Hong Kong and Beijing.

EB5 investment opportunities in Guam “America in Asia” are not only easier and faster to visit, but are always in the same business day.

                                                                                                                                        --by John Ryan