Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) has launched Shop Guam Festival 2012, Guam’s first social media co-operative marketing campaign with major local industry partners.

The campaign kicked off at the GVB’s 6th annual Global Media Fam Tour in October which hosted over 70 traditional and online media representatives from Guam’s eight major tourism markets.

The visiting media experienced a number of Guam cultural activities, toured the island’s historical sites and shopping malls and enjoyed a local fiesta, a traditional Guam village celebration that honors its patron saint with an elaborate feast of local dishes, cultural dance performances and music.

The visit coincided with the 25th Guam Micronesia Island Fair, GVB’s annual signature cultural event, showcasing the cultures of Micronesia at Ypao Beach Park.

A multinational search is now underway for eight lucky winners from eight countries to become Shop Guam Festival shopping ambassadors to Guam. The winners will each receive an all-expense paid trip to Guam that includes airfare, hotel stay, ground transportation, a shopping budget of $6000.00, optional tours, and a fully-sponsored shopping tour. One shopping ambassador will be selected from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Philippines, Russia and North America.

It is GVB’s initiative to leverage its international tourism reach to promote the island as the premier shopping destination in the Western Pacific. GVB estimates to generate over $2 million dollars in global media coverage for Guam and the co-operative sponsors through the Global Media Fam Tour and Shop Guam Festival. 

The Shop Guam Festival campaign aims to promote Guam’s tax-free shopping, diverse brand inventory and friendly retail staff and to generate visitor awareness of American retail sales during the year-end holiday season. The campaign will run for 120 days, throughout the holiday sales season in Guam, from late September 2012 to early January 2013. The Shop Guam Festival Ambassador winners will be announced on October 26, 2012.