Sample a slice of America

Guam offers exciting water activities and allows visitors to go snorkeling and explore more than 400 different types of coral, and 700 different types of fish. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Meanwhile, Guam is doing its bit to grab a bigger slice of the Chinese tourism market.

The Guam Visitors Bureau kicked off its campaign with a road show in Beijing on Feb 27, and other events will be held in Shanghai, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Guangzhou in Guangdong province.

The Guam tourism authority says 2017 is its "Year of Love", and so it plans to showcase Guam as a destination for weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries.

Expanding on the theme, Laguana says: "Guam is a combination of natural landscapes, cultural heritage and shopping. And it is also an ideal destination to experience American style leisure with water sports without the crowds."

As to why Guam is targeting China, it says it is because the country is an important travel market, and one that the island is committed to tapping.

According to China Tourism Academy statistics, Chinese outbound travel in 2015 increased 9.8 percent year on year, to more than 117 million outbound trips.

And, benefiting from the 10-year US multi-entry visa policy, Guam is seeing an increase in traffic from China.

Last year, Guam took in over 26,000 mainland visitors, up 11.4 percent on the previous year.

And the Guam bureau hopes to boost the numbers with help from Chinese travel agencies, and trade events such as workshops and seminars to help the Chinese learn more about the destination, and to get familiar with its festivals and events, says Laguana.

An international music festival and a marathon will also be staged on the island to spice up the visitor experience.

The Guam International Marathon in April will have various events, including a half marathon and 10K and 5K races. The race route will showcase Guam's scenery.

Diving enthusiasts have another reason to visit Guam as the local authorities plan to host an event to mark the centenary of the scuttling of the SMS Cormoran II on April 7.

This event will include a series of educational and diving opportunities, and is a great chance for diving enthusiasts who want to explore the shipwrecks of the SMS Cormoran and the Tokai Maru.