Where America's Day Begins: Guam

A territory of the U.S. since the Treaty of Paris in 1898, Guam only began allowing international tourism on its 210 square mile Pacific island when President John F Kennedy lifted the security restriction on travel in 1962. Pan Am soon flew 109 Japanese tourists to the island on May 1, 1967 and the rest is Americana history.

Today, the island touts itself as “where America’s day begins,” welcoming over 1.5 million tourists from around the world in 2018, the majority of whom come from Japan (36%) and Korea (48%) searching for that American Experience, or at least the version they have come to know and love thanks to Hollywood. They come for the bright convertibles, the shooting ranges, Elvis, the 1-foot-tall hamburgers and to shop at the KMART. Few mainland Americans, however, visit the island, save for the military families and small businesses, and most couldn’t point to the island on a map.

Tourism is Guam’s #1 industry, generating $1.4 Billion for the economy and 18,000 jobs and while its draw is chock full of American flavors, its existence remains distinctly its own.