Guam buildup plans offer opportunities for investors

Guam has a well-deserved reputation as an ideal destination for holidays, honeymoons and business retreats, but it also presents opportunities for people looking for spots to invest in. Felix P. Camacho, Governor of Guam (pictured), was in Taiwan recently to publicize the projects and businesses that will be created with the buildup of U.S. military forces already in gear on the island.
The opening of a new U.S. Marine base and expansion of other facilities on the island will bring in some US$15 billion worth of construction and development, with work expected to get underway by the first quarter of 2010. Governor Camacho notes that over 15,000 managers, engineers, and laborers will eventually be involved in development under the buildup, with many projects open to bidding by outsiders.

More than a million visitors a year travel to Guam each year to visit the beaches, mountains and distinctive vistas of the island. Some 80 percent of visitor traffic comes from Japan while tourists from the U.S. and Taiwan account for most of the rest.

China Airlines alone carried more than 23,000 travelers from Taiwan to the island last year. They come to bask in the balmy year-round weather, enjoy in duty-free shopping at places like "Pleasure Island" in Tumon, take on the island's nine superb golf courses and explore the many underwater adventures that Guam has to offer.

Governor Camacho noted that many areas for development will be opened up with the buildup project, including special technologies such as renewable energy and solid waste disposal, both of which will be essential parts of future development for Guam.

The governor came to Taiwan with a 15-member delegation and visited the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung. Meetings included the Deputy Mayor of Taipei; officials of TaiPower, which is helping to develop Guam's power grid; the International Cooperation and Development Fund; and Ching Fu Ship Building, a world leader in the construction of International Standard product carriers and multi-purpose ships. Taiwan News