Country Manager Hiroshi Kaneko Leads Japan Operations

(Tumon, Guam) The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) has announced the appointment of AVIAREPS Japan Ltd to provide tourism destination marketing representation services in Japan led by GVB Country Manager Hiroshi Kaneko.

On April 1, 2019, GVB officially named Mr. Kaneko as the new country manager of the Japan market. He began his career as a sales manager at GVB in 2015 and he has encouraged sales activity with a focus on air service development. This reorganization is part of GVB’s Japan strategic recovery plan, which includes aggressive incentive programs to increase seat capacity, and marketing campaigns to build demand through online and social media marketing.

AVIAREPS Japan is under the AVIAREPS Group, which was founded in Germany in 1994 and is the world’s leading destination marketing company with 66 offices in 48 countries. The company represents over 100 tourism and destination clients and more than 190 airline clients worldwide.

Originally founded in September 1999 as Marketing Garden it became part of the global AVIAREPS family 10 years later.  AVIAREPS Japan currently has 34 staff members. Beginning July 1, 2019, AVIAREPS Japan will operate as GVB’s representative and liaison office, with an exclusive professional team, in the marketplace for the purpose of assisting GVB in promoting Guam tourism and achieving visitor arrival goals.

“Guam’s tourism history started with Japan and Guam’s evolution would not be what it is today without Japan. People, governments, and businesses of Guam and Japan have benefited tremendously from this relationship spanning over 50 years. The Guam Visitors Bureau understands the value and importance of this continuing relationship. With this in mind the bureau is highly confident in its selection of AVIAREPS, under Mr. Kaneko’s leadership, that Guam will continue to have a strong presence in the Japan market with the team’s extensive tourism background and expertise in destination marketing. We look forward to working with them in expanding and developing this market and relationship further,” said GVB Chairman of the Board P. Sonny Ada.

“We are excited and proud to join the GVB team as their new Japan marketing representative. The AVIAREPS Japan team brings a wealth of experience and expertise in destination marketing around the globe,” said Mr. Ashley J. Harvey, AVIAREPS Japan General Manager.

Guam welcomed 530,223 visitors from Japan in Fiscal Year 2018, a decrease of 21.4% from the previous year. However, 2019 tracking shows a 23.9% growth in fiscal year-to-date figures with 457,433 Japanese visitor arrivals.

“While Japan arrival numbers show positive year over year growth, the new GVB Japan team will remain active with efficient, innovative and responsive initiatives in this modern age of tourism,” said GVB President & CEO Pilar Laguaña. “We welcome our new marketing representatives and will continue to work with them to make Guam a better place to live, work and visit.”

Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer