TUMON, GUAM - The Outrigger Guam Resort has been designated as official host hotel on Guam for the upcoming 33rd Annual Asian Assembly of the Skal Club in 2004.

Skal is a professional organization of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry.

The regional meeting, to be held May 29 through June 1, 2004, on Guam, will draw an estimated 250 to 300 Skal members, including top-level industry managers and international senior executives from throughout Asia for the group's annual regional meeting.

Meetings and other regional events will be primarily held at the Outrigger Guam Resort. Other Guam hotels officially hosting Skal delegates are the Hyatt Regency Guam, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa and Ladera Tower.

"We are pleased to announce that the Outrigger Guam Resort has been designated as the official host hotel," said Charlene Goo, Area Vice President and General Manager, Outrigger Guam Resort, who also serves as the Skal Guam secretary. "This is the first time that Guam submitted a bid to hold the Skal regional meeting for Asia. Our island location, together with an exclusive selection of fine Guam hotels, successfully won the bid, outbidding many other prime tourist destinations throughout the region."

The Outrigger Guam Resort is working closely with various members of Guam's tourism industry, including the Guam Visitors Bureau, the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association and the Governor's Office to showcase Guam's world-class hospitality and service industry to visiting top-level senior executives from throughout Asia and other Pacific regions.

"This regional meeting also represents a unique opportunity for Guam's hospitality and service industry to show the rest of Asia that Guam's tourism industry has rebounded unscathed despite extensive damage sustained to hotel facilities during Super typhoon Pongsonga in December 2002," said Richard Rennie, Director of Marketing, Outrigger Guam Resort, who also serves as Skal Guam president.

The first Skal Club was founded in 1932 in Paris by travel managers, following an educational tour of Scandinavia. The idea of international goodwill and friendship grew and, in 1934, the "Association Internationale des Skal Clubs" was established. Skal International today has approximately 25,000 members in more than 525 clubs throughout 80 nations. Skal International is headquartered at the General Secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain. Further information regarding the Skal organization and upcoming events are available at the group's official website at: www.skal.org.

Located beachfront along Tumon Bay, the 600-room Outrigger Guam Resort offers deluxe accommodations with ocean views from every guestroom. Guests can enjoy a wealth of amenities and activities while at the Outrigger Guam Resort, including a full-service Mandara Spa, fitness center, tropically landscaped pool with water slide and a variety of beach activities. The Plaza, a bustling shopping, dining and entertainment complex, is connected to the hotel where guests can enjoy dining at the likes of Sam Choy's Restaurant and Hard Rock Café, and diversions such as GameWorks, an amazing virtual reality venue and video arcade, or UnderWater World, featuring the longest walk-through aquarium ever built.

For hotel reservations or information, call your preferred travel professional or Outrigger Hotels & Resorts toll-free at 1-800-OUTRIGGER (688-7444) within the U.S., Guam and Canada. Elsewhere call 303-369-7777. For online information or reservations, Internet users can log onto www.outrigger.com. Outrigger's e-mail address is reservations@outrigger.com.