Over 100 tourism industry members attend workshop

(Tumon, Guam) The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB), together with the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, recently hosted a training camp for over 100 of the island’s tourism industry professionals at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort on Thursday, July 13, 2017.

The training camp featured Mr. Gary Cheng, who oversees TripAdvisor’s Destination Marketing for North Asia and Micronesia. Cheng has more than 15 years of marketing experience acquired in top multinational corporations (MNCs) including Procter & Gamble and British American Tobacco. Before joining TripAdvisor, he worked in Hong Kong Tourism Board, which gives him a very comprehensive exposure to many industry players and a strong understanding of the industry.

“We’re proud to bring this opportunity to our industry partners through the power of TripAdvisor,” said GVB Director of Global Marketing Pilar Laguaña. “Earlier this year in January, GVB invited Sarah Mathews, TripAdvisor's head of Destination Marketing Asia Pacific, to provide GVB members with valuable training tools to add to their repertoire of marketing skills as we go forth to execute our mission. This time, we’re happy we invited Gary to conduct the second phase of this training camp to our members and industry partners.”

Laguaña added that the third phase of GVB’s TripAdvisor partnership in the coming months would include GVB’s marketing department investing in the launch of a global campaign with travel agents and suppliers.

“TripAdvisor’s aim is to support the travel industry across the globe to better understand the power of reviews. With TripAdvisor as the world’s largest travel site, there is a wealth of insight and data that we can share with our tourism industry,” said Cheng. “The insights, tips, and ideas from this workshop will prepare Guam’s tourism industry members to better manage their reputations online, as well as attract more business from our social media application.”

The training camp focused on reputation management, as well as breakout sessions pertaining to hospitality, optional tours, food and beverage retailers, tourism services and other retailers. Industry partners also received one-on-one specialist consultations by appointment.

“This training camp by the world’s largest travel site is a perfect example of how tourism works for you in providing this exclusive opportunity to learn about managing Guam’s presence in the world and how tourism connects us all,” said GVB President and CEO Nathan Denight. “With how fast Guam is growing and the amount of visitors coming to our shores, it’s even more important to take this time to network with the rest of our industry partners and learn from each other.”

Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer