Archives for April 2017

On Friday, April 7, 2017, the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) was joined by local and international dignitaries to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the scuttling of the SMS Cormoran II. The German vessel came to Guam in December 1914, out of coal and desperate to escape pursuit by warships of the Japanese Imperial Navy. The ship and her crew stayed in Guam peacefully for the next two and half years until the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917.

On that fateful day, Guam’s US Navy Governor sent word to Captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt of the Cormoran that their two countries were now at war. The captain was instructed to surrender his ship and prepare his men to become prisoners of war. Captain Zuckschwerdt agreed to surrender his crew, but not the SMS Cormoran. Instead, the ship was scuttled and sunk to the bottom of Apra Harbor on April 7, 1917.

Guam divers place a 4 ft. x 3 ft. centennial commemorative banner; 12-foot floral wreath; and a replica of the Imperial German Navy flag on the SMS Cormoran II as peace tribute to her 100 years beneath the sea. Photo by Mr. Chase Weir

To commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the scuttling of the SMS Cormoran II, the GVB organized a special seaside memorial service. Attendees of the ocean service were transported to the site of the Cormoran’s final resting place by boat. Nearly 120 people participated in the seaside memorial service including two family members representing the crew of the Cormoran. Walter Runck, came for his grandfather Jakob Runch, and Lasia Casil, represented her great-grandfather Paul Grey, who were both sailors on the Cormoran.

The contingent honoring the SMS Cormoran also included Mr. Michael Hasper, Chargé d’Affaires from the German Embassy in Manila, Guam’s U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Captain James B. Pruett Commander of the US Coast, island dignitaries, and the Consul Generals from Japan, Philippines, and South Korea. An international media corps with representatives from Japan, Korea, North America, Russia, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China attended to capture the memorial.

The event began at 8:03 a.m., the exact time the Cormoran began to sink a hundred years before, with the chiming of the bell, ringing out seven times in honor of the seven sailors who perished that day. Their names – Karl Bennershansen, Franz Blum, K. Boomerum, Rudolph Penning, Emil Reschke, and Ernes Roose were read out with each toll, followed by a traditional Chamorro blessing performed by Guam’s Pa’a Taotao Tano’ group. The Chamorro blessing was complimented with a Christian blessing, given by Pale Eric Forbes. Mr. Hasper, Chargé d’Affaires from the German Embassy and Congresswoman Bordallo, each gave remarks to commemorate the over 100-year history of the SMS Cormoran and Guam.

At 8:30 a.m., local deep-sea scuba divers Mitchell Singler, Louis Cabral, Frank Gradyan, Jim Pinson, photographer/diver Chase Weir, and GVB’s Director of Global Marketing Pilar Laguaña entered the water and began the descent to 110 feet (34 meters), where the Cormoran lies. The divers carried with them a 12-foot wreath, a centennial commemorative 4-feet x 3-feet banner, and a replica of the Imperial German Navy flag, which were attached to the SMS Cormoran II as peace tribute to her 100 years beneath the sea.

“With my Chamorro and German ethnic background, to carry the Imperial German Navy flag down to the SMS Cormoran II on the morning of its 100th year anniversary was a humbling experience and an extremely special moment. As I approached the ship, I yearned that all could see how magnificent she lies peaceful and so gallant and strong as the flag was rightfully mounted back onto the SMS Cormoran II” stated Ms. Pilar Laguaña.

Divers posed for photos touching the twin shipwrecks of the SMS Cormoran and Tokai Maru, her companion of the last 26 years. The Tokai Maru sunk during WWII and came to lie touching the Cormoran’s propeller, creating the only dive site in the world where divers can touch shipwrecks from two different World Wars.

While the divers honored the Cormoran below, aboard the boats, guests listened as local diver and instructor Michael Musto gave a history on the SMS Cormoran II and her place in Guam’s history. When the divers returned, the memorial group returned to shore, where preparations were underway at the U.S. Naval Cemetery to honor the seven German sailors who lost their lives 100 years ago. The 100th commemoration of the day the SMS Cormoran II sank is a moment of both pride and dedication to preserve and share information on the history of the SMS Cormoran II and may one not forget the sacrifices made by its crew members. Friendships formed, loyalties tested, lives lost, and a rich part of Guam’s history to be remembered.

PHOTO: Dignitaries that attended the SMS Cormoran II 100th anniversary commemoration at sea above the shipwreck sight were, from left to right: Mr. Shinji Urabayashi, Consul General of Japan; Mr. Sangdon Yoon, Head of Mission, Republic of Korea; Mr. Milton Morinaga, GVB Chairman of the Board of Directors; Guam’s U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo; Mr. Michael Hasper, Chargé d’Affaires, German Embassy in Manila; and Mr. Marciano R. De Borja. Consul General of the Philippines. Photo by Mr. Chase Weir

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) continues to boost its efforts to market the destination in Italy through various means, with the latest being a consumer event known as Travel Experience-Euroma2.

The event was held at Euroma2, one of the most popular shopping centers in Rome, from April 20-23.

Located at EUR, the mall hosted many tour operators, hotel chains, tourism organizations and destinations to offer its clients the possibility of exploring the world while shopping or relaxing and of planning their next holidays, discovering the new trends in the travel sector.

Some stands were also dedicated to recruitment in the tourism field in view of the summer season and many young people did not hesitate to pass by and learn about the different possibilities and destinations, locally and internationally.

The stands were located all along the corridors on a vast surface and all had the maximum visibility. Among the destinations there were countries such as Spain, Cyprus and Cuba and tour operators such as Press Tours, Futura Vacanze or Viaggidea just to name a few.

Promotional materials were also given out to visitors who did not hesitate to ask questions and admire the beauty of the archipelago or take a picture with the famous Coco de Mer nut.

STB was represented by its regional manager based in Italy Monette Rose, senior marketing executive Amia Jovanovic-Desir and marketing executive Yasmine Pocetti.

The interest towards Seychelles was very high and many visitors passed by to share their positive experiences in Seychelles, where they would like to return once again. A lot of visitors said they had visited Seychelles in the 80s and 90s and they expressed their wish to bring their children because for them Seychelles is a true paradise and a place worth visiting.

Moreover, those who have experienced the destination recently are planning to come again.

The average visitors per day in the shopping center is 70,000 and the weekend of the event was no exception with many consumers, but also some travel consultants and agents of the area stopping by.

Miss Rose said the event was a very successful one adding that it is more and more difficult to meet the public and channel the interest of the consumer.

“This was the first event and we are looking forward to see the good results of it,” she said.

Guam has celebrated the 100th anniversary of the scuttling of the SMS Cormoran II, a historic ship where the first shot fired by the US took place in World War I. The Cormoran had spent two and a half years stranded in Guam with no coal to reach another safe destination. Although not at war with Germany, the US Naval Governor of Guam had decided against refueling the Cormoran, due in part to the island’s own limited supply of the fuel.

Eventually, the German sailors of the Cormoran were given permission to come and go freely from the ship. The relationship between the local people and the Navy with the Cormoran’s crew was very friendly. When the US entered WWI on April 6, 1917, the relationship was forced to change.

The SMS Cormoran II Monument built in 1917 by the sailors of the SMS Cormoran at the U.S. Navy Cemetery in Hagåtña next to the six sailors’ graves. Photo by Mr. Chase Weir

The Navy demanded the Cormoran’s captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt surrender his ship as their countries were now at war. Zuckschwerdt agreed to surrender himself and his crew, but not the Cormoran. Instead, he instructed his crew to leave the ship and made arrangements to scuttle her. On April 7, 1917 at 8:03 a.m., multiple explosions shook the SMS Cormoran II and she began to sink. Unfortunately, not all the sailors had left the ship and seven died that day.

Only six bodies were recovered. The six sailors were buried with full military honors in the U.S. Naval Cemetery in Hagåtña. The graves are still well marked with headstones inscribed with each sailor’s name – Karl Bennershansen, Franz Blum, K. Boomerum, Rudolph Penning, Emil Reschke, and Ernes Roose. The cemetery also features a monument built by the crew for the SMS Cormoran II and her lost crew members.

On April 7, 2017, crowds gathered in the afternoon at the U.S. Naval Cemetery to honor the fallen of the SMS Cormoran II with a special Peace Tribute Commencement Ceremony. Michael Musto, a SMS Cormoran and dive professional, gave a short history of the Cormoran. The Guam National Guard conducted the presentation of colors and Guam Territorial Band performed. The sailors were honored with a special Chamorro blessing conducted by Pa’a Taotao Tano’, Guam’s longest performing cultural group, and Pale Eric Forbes gave a Christian blessing.

Guam’s U.S. Congress representative, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, gave opening remarks. The Congresswoman, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy Commander, Joint Region Marianas Shoshana Chatfield, Guam Senator Dennis Rodriguez, Senator Joe S. San Agustin, and Milton Morinaga, Chairman of the GVB Board of Directors unveiled the commemoration plaque. Rear Admiral Chatfield also gave a speech outlining the US Navy’s relationship with the Cormoran and her crew. Admiral stated, “What is the role of the sailor, what might any of us in uniform be asked to do, and I think that I can summarize that by saying that we will serve faithfully, that we will fight bravely, and that we will die honorably.”

Mr. Michael Hasper, Chargé d’Affaires from the German Embassy in Manila, representing the Cormoran’s native Germany was joined by Walter Runck, whose grandfather was a sailor on the Cormoran, and Maria Uhl from Sonthofen, Germany, Guam’s sister city since 1988, to place a large floral wreath by the SMS Cormoran II monument. Six local German families placed small floral arrangements on the six sailors’ graves.

The history of the SMS Cormoran II includes a two-month stay in Lamotrek, an atoll of Yap, part of the Federated States of Micronesia. A sailor named Paul Glaser, rescued by the Cormoran during her journey throughout the Pacific, was laid to rest in Lamotrek. The Lamotrek Association of Guam honored their connection with the SMS Cormoran II during the Peace Tribute Commencement Ceremony. Their skin oiled and colored by turmeric, a brightly colored delegation presented coconuts and sprinkled turmeric on each grave. The fruits represented the main food staple with which the people of Lamotrek were able to feed the nearly 300-person crew of the Cormoran.

The local community presented the fallen sailors with breadfruit and water. The water was carried in a New Guinean bowl to represent the thirty Cormoran crew members who were from New Guinea. The Chamorros used a medicinal fern leaf called “kahlau” to sprinkle the water on each grave and a Chinese bell was rung three times for each lost sailor. The Chinese bell represented the Chinese crew members from the SMS Cormoran II.

Following the formal presentations, the crowd was also invited to place flowers at the memorial site and on the headstones. Preserving and respecting the island’s history is important in Guam, from our own Chamorro culture and history to the lives from other lands who have touched our shores and left their mark. For over 100 years the SMS Cormoran II and her crew have been a proud part of the history of Guam.

PHOTO: Dignitaries attended the Peace Tribute at the U.S. Navy Cemetery in Hagåtña, Guam. From left to right: Milton Morinaga, GVB Chairman of the Board of Directors; John A. Cruz, Mayor of Hagåtña; Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy Commander, Joint Region Marianas Shoshana Chatfield; Guam’s U.S. Congress representative, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo; Michael Hasper, Chargé d’Affaires, German Embassy in Manila, Philippines; Guam Senator Dennis Rodriguez; and Guam Senator Joe S. San Agustin. Photo by Mr. Chase Weir

Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says a major outcome of the “UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism” being held in November in Montego Bay, Jamaica, will be the creation of a Montego Bay Declaration.

The Declaration will be used as a road map to strengthen public-private-partnerships and enhance donor funding and investor engagement, which will create the framework for more responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

Speaking at the two-day World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit 2017 which began Bangkok on Wednesday, April 26, Minister Bartlett explained: “Despite the fact that tourism is an industry that contributes largely to the GDP of many countries, less than 1% of funding from international donor agencies is provided to the tourism industry. Commercial and development banks also have difficulties in understanding the tourism sector enough to provide financing to small and medium tourism entities – especially in the creative industries.”

He added, “At the global conference, we will get the opportunity to further discuss with the relevant international donors as well as key participants representing various players in the industry, the best practices and the way forward to make tourism truly sustainable.”

November’s global conference will also seek to identify successful models and future partnership initiatives that will contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the publication of the second UNWTO Affiliate Members Global Report on Public-Private-Partnerships.

The Declaration will also address tourism leakages that are crippling the industry both locally and globally. Minister Bartlett explained that Jamaica has established a series of networks and capacity building initiatives to combat the issue to allow the Jamaican people to benefit more from the sector.

However, internationally, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai stated that “the leakages that we are seeing are the result of ignoring the capabilities of the local community to contribute to the investment – whether it is a foreign investment or local investment. Therefore, if we can encourage foreign investors to purchase locally, to hire locally then the leakages would be minimized.”

Minister Bartlett is a lead speaker for the more than 900 high level figures in the travel and tourism industry from across the world who are attending the 2017 World Travel and Tourism Summit in Thailand. Former British Prime Minister, David Cameron; UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai; United States Travel Association President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Roger Dow; AirAsia CEO, Tony Fernandes; Travel Editor for CBS News, Peter Greenberg; President and CEO of Marriott International, Arne Sorenson; and President of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy are the other lead speakers.

Minister Bartlett participated in a press conference, jointly hosted by Secretary General of the UNWTO, Dr. Taleb Rifai, and a representative from the World Bank Group. He is slated to return to Jamaica on April 29.