Tumon ( ch, Tomhom) is a district located on Tumon Bay along the northwest coast of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

unincorporated territory of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. Located in the municipality of

Tamuning Tamuning, also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon ( ch, Tamuneng) is a village located on the western shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village of Tamuning is the economic center of Guam, containing tourist center Tumon, Harmon Indus ...

, it is the center of Guam's

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

industry.

History

Tumon Bay or Agana Bay are the most likely locations that Ferdinand Magellan dropped anchor on March 6, 1521, though there was little further contact for the next 150 years. When the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

colonized Guam in 1668, ''Tomhom'' was one of the most prominent villages. The first

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

missionaries to the island, the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

Padre (''Pålé''), the Spanish priest

Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

Diego Luis de San Vitores Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ (November 12, 1627 – April 2, 1672) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam. He is responsible for establishing the Christian presence in the Mariana Islands. He ...

and his

sacristan A sacristan is an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents. In ancient times, many duties of the sacrist were performed by the doorkeepers ( ostiarii), and later by the treasurers and mansionarii. The Decretals ...

, the

Visayan Visayans (Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group, ...

Saint

Pedro Calungsod Pedro Calungsod ( es, Pedro Calúñgsod or archaically ; mid-1650s – April 2, 1672), also known as Peter Calungsod and Pedro Calonsor, was a Catholic Filipino-Visayan migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist who, along with the Spanish J ...

were killed in Tumon by the village chief

Matå'pang Matå'pang (died 1680) was a Chamorro maga'låhi or chief of the ancient Chamorro village of Tomhom on the island of Guahan. His name meant "to be made pure by cleansing" in Chamorro. Matå'pang is best known for resisting the Spanish invasio ...

after San Vitores had baptised the chief's daughter without permission, but with mother's permission. This was an early inciting incident of the Spanish-Chamorro Wars. A park and statue mark the site of De San Vitores and Calungsod's martyrdom along the beach, while a nearby Catholic parish church dedicated to De San Vitores lies along Tumon's main road, which was also named in his honor. A small tunnel through a large rock on the tourist beach overlooking the bay was part of the defensive positions prepared by the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese occupiers during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The American forces landed in a different location during the 1944 Battle of Guam and the Tumon defenses were not tested. Today, dozens of hotels in addition to shopping centers, water parks, night clubs, and other attractions can be found along the sandy beaches of Tumon Bay, which was recently made a marine preserve. Tumon is served by

Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, east of the capital city of Hagåtña (formerly Agana) in the United States territory of Guam. The airport is ...

Politics

As the center of Guam's tourist industry, Tumon often has issues that lead to political debates. A recurring one concerns whether adult entertainment businesses should remain in the area. Another involves propositions to legalize gambling on Guam which would lead to casinos in the area. Due to the area's economic importance, extensive public works projects often take place in Tumon leading some politicians to be both applauded and criticized for the disproportionate funding given the region. Tumon is part of the municipality of Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon, which is governed by an elected mayor. "Tumon" and "Upper Tumon" are

census-designated places in Guam This is a list of census-designated places in Guam. Population data is from the 2010 Census. Census Designated Places of Guam See also *Villages of Guam * List of beaches in Guam References {{United States topic , title = Lists of place ...

Transportation and communications

The main source of public transportation in the district is through the bus or taxi service, while

is located in neighbouring Barrigada to the southeast. The Guam Telephone Authority also operates in the area. Most of the island is powered through power poles; however, Tumon is the only village on the island to have underground power lines.

Economy

Tumon is Guam's economic center. Tourism makes up more than half the economy of the island. Tourists flock to the shopping centers each day to local malls and shopping centers in the area. In 2005, the Guam Visitors Bureau recorded that over 1.2 million visitors visited the island that year.

Shopping

Tumon, as Guam's premier shopping district, has many malls and shopping arcades to choose from such as: *Duty Free Galleria (DFS) *Acanta Mall *Tumon Sands Plaza *The Plaza *JP Superstore Because of all the luxury shops and midscale stores in the city, Tumon is often called "''the Paris of the Pacific''".

Activities

Tourists flock to the beaches of Tumon Bay to enjoy the clear water and a day full of activities. Popular attractions include shopping. The central area of Hotel Row is home to the largest

tunnel aquarium A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...

in the world, an attraction known as the Daring Sling Shot (riders are strapped into a ball that is shot upward on a wire and brought back down), and the popular Magic on Ice Show at the Sand Castle. Now Tumon is viewed by some as a "mini-

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

", with Hawaiian style fire dances. There are also many Chamorro shows available. The beaches in Tumon are all wildlife preserves. Fishing is allowed in certain areas, but fishers must stand on the beach to cast their nets or fishing lines. Walking into the water to fish is illegal. One big Tourist Shopping location is

Micronesia Mall Micronesia Mall (Japanese: ミクロネシアモール) (Korean: 미크로네시아 몰) (Spanish: ) (Russian: Микронезия Молл), in Dededo at the intersection of Guam highways 1 and 16, is the largest shopping center in the Uni ...

, which has expanded and added a food court and a

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

as the sole anchor store. Another big shopping location is a 24-hour Kmart, which is as big as any standard Kmart on the mainland US. Parking is frequently full and there is parking on the roof. Both Micronesia Mall and Kmart are off Hotel Row, with buses frequently running between the shops and the hotels.

Nightlife and entertainment

Tumon has many

dance clubs A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, several strip clubs and much more to offer. The largest dance center in the city is The Globe. The Sandcastle is a Las Vegas-style attraction, with magic shows featuring tigers, flamingos and other exotic animals. There is currently a debate in the area on the subject of "adult entertainment". Some contend the strip clubs bring in much needed tourist dollars, while others believe they scare away families.

Education

Guam Public School System serves the island. Currently only two schools serve the village of Tumon. They are John F. Kennedy High School and Chief Brodie Elementary.

Northern Tumon

The northern part of Tumon Bay is the busiest and the most populous part of the Tumon Bay districts. Most of the hotels in Tumon are located in this area, including

Hotel Nikko Guam Hotel Nikko Guam is a 5-star hotel in Tumon, Guam. It is operated by the Japanese hotelier firm Hotel Nikko. It is located at the northernmost end of Tumon Bay Tumon Bay is a bay in the United States territory of Guam, opening to the Philippine Se ...

, Okura, Westin, Ohana Bayview, Ohana Oceanview, Tumon Bay Capitol,

Outrigger An outrigger is a projecting structure on a boat, with specific meaning depending on types of vessel. Outriggers may also refer to legs on a wheeled vehicle that are folded out when it needs stabilization, for example on a crane that lifts ...

Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...

, and Pia Marine. This section is also expecting an economic boom due to the arrival of the US military. Many new tall high-rise buildings are being constructed over the next few years, including infrastructure upgrades and an addition of many new shopping centers. Many of the new high-rises in the northern Tumon area include, the Bayview 5, The Two Lovers Point Towers, a high-rise near the Westin, the Baldyga shopping center, the expansion of Underwater world and more projects expected to go up soon.

External links and references

Guam Visitors Bureau

at Guam Portal * Rogers, Robert F (1995). Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam: University of Hawai'i Press.
Report: Dredging information about Tumon Beach
- Guam Environmental Protection Agency. September 2000.

at Guam Review Specific {{coord missing, Guam Census-designated places in Guam