October, 2016
The record-breaking tourist arrivals this year is a cause of excitement for Guam Visitor Bureau’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Nathan Denight.
Denight has been with the bureau for about five years. He began his career in GVB as deputy general manager in 2011.
In 2014, he was promoted to President and CEO. His work is a reflection of GVB’s mission of making Guam a better place to live, work and visit.
Denight explains that a work day at GVB is never the same.
On one day, he could be on-island brainstorming activities related to promoting and developing Guam as a destination.
On the next day, he could be traveling overseas taking part in a trade show.
Having too little time is a challenge that comes with the job. For Denight, there are never enough hours in a day to get through everything.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to make a mark in such a dynamic and important industry to Guam,” Denight said.
Along with this, he loves how the job gives him the opportunity to learn new things and meet new people everyday.
Some of Denight’s recent accomplishments include successfully promoting the Festival of Pacific Arts (FESTPAC), and the opening of the Guam Museum and Hotel Dust Thani. He had also spearheaded Guam’s hosting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) summit. In addition, Guam has reached 1.5 million tourists this fiscal year, breaking the record by almost 130,000 more than last year.
Guam’s tourism industry has evolved through the years, and today, the island has a more diversified target tourist market. Guam now sees individuals from Korea, China, and Russia.
Denight explained how he and GVB have changed through the years.
“I have been able to help shape the way the bureau operates and it’s nice to see what the bureau puts into a plan happening,” he said.
He hopes to continue to help transform the tourism industry for years to come.