February 2017 E-Bulletin
Message from George D. Szigeti
President & CEO
Hawaii Tourism Authority
Aloha kakou,

We will soon be announcing HTA’s financial support of community groups statewide that are helping to perpetuate Hawaiian culture, preserve the environment and celebrate the spirit of our Islands.

I will save the details for our official news release, but can share that HTA is proudly supporting 128 organizations through our Kukulu Ola Program, Aloha Aina Program and Community Enrichment Program with more than $3.3 million in total funding.

We applaud the dedication of these community-minded groups and their volunteers to protect and carry forward inherent qualities of Hawaii’s heritage that are vital to continuing our way of life.

It’s inspiring to know so many people throughout Hawaii care so much about showcasing our culture, protecting our natural resources, and hosting events and festivals reflecting the character of our communities.

Hawaiian culture, Hawaii’s natural resources and our community spirit are the essence of what makes living in these beautiful islands such a remarkable and joyful experience.

It also explains why so many people around the world want to come here and celebrate the life we love.

Mahalo to HTA’s 128 awardees for their commitment and hard work to support individual programs that collectively make Hawai‘i such a magnificent destination.


With warmest aloha, 
George D. Szigeti
2017 HTA Spring Marketing Update

The Hawaii Tourism Authority and its marketing partners will present a briefing of their tourism marketing activities at the 2017 Spring Marketing Update on Thursday, March 30 at the Hawaii Convention Center's Emalani Theater. 

When:
Where:


Schedule
7:45 a.m. 
8:15 a.m.
8:35 a.m.
8:55 a.m.
9:10 a.m.
9:25 a.m.
9:40 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
10:10 a.m.
10:20 a.m.
10:30 a.m.

10:40 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:15 a.m.
11:30 a.m.

March 30, 2017, Thursday
Hawaii Convention Center, Emalani Theater
Level 3, 1801 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815


Registration

Welcome

Hawaii Tourism United States

Hawaii Tourism Canada

Hawaii Tourism Oceania

Hawaii Tourism Europe

Hawaii Tourism Global MCI and Hawaii Convention Center

Q&A

Break

Hawaii Tourism Southeast Asia

Hawaii Tourism Taiwan

Hawaii Tourism China/ Hong Kong

Hawaii Tourism Korea

Hawaii Tourism Japan

Q&A and Closing

For more information, please go to HTA 2017 Spring Marketing Updates.
Sharing Authentic Hawaiian Cultural Experiences 
Hawaii tourism industry leaders offer their thoughts on the importance of sharing authentic Hawaiian cultural experiences with visitors to our Islands.
February-March Events

OAHU

Women in Film
February 18-March 3
February 23-May 15

March 31


MAUI

Hui Noeau
Art Affair 2017

February 25

Keauhou
February 26

Journey
March 5

Maui 5K
March 5

Mapa Spring Gala 2017
March 17


March 19


KAUAI

Waimea Town Celebration
February 18-25


Aloha New Year Hula Dance Party in Beijing

Hawaii Tourism China (HTC) and Mahina Hula Dancing Workshop jointly organized an Aloha New Year Hula Dance Party at DDC Dusk Dawn Club in Beijing in January 2017.

Response to the event was overwhelming, with its number of attendees exceeding the venue's capacity.
The party kicked off with a performance of “We Know the Way,” from the soundtrack of the Disney animated movie Moana, placing everyone in attendance into the relaxed mood of the Hawaiian Islands. The program’s 13 hula dances, which included performances of the songs “Me Kuu One Hanau E,” “Koali” and “Hula Girl,” and two ukulele performances won rounds of applause.
HTC and Shijiebang, the latter a renowned business-to-consumer customized travel platform specializing in Free Independent Travelers (FITs), also gave a 15-minute presentation on the Hawaiian Islands and introduced their Hawaii travel packages.
"Happy Healthy Hawaii" Promotion with Air China
Hawaii Tourism China collaborated with Air China South Base on a joint event to share the 2017 theme of Hawaii tourism, "Happy Healthy Hawaii," with the South China market.

The event, held in Guangzhou in December, included the participation of more than 70 corporate, media and travel trade representatives.

Spurred by HTC, Air China offered event attendees a promotional airfare on its Guangzhou-Beijing-Hawaii tickets – discounted between 50 and 70 percent, for both economy and business classes – at a lowest price of 1,300RMB (equivalent to $188.85) for a round-trip ticket between January and June 2017.

Four travel agencies – Guangzhou CCT, GZL International Travel Service, Tongcheng and Yiqifei – also signed up with Air China to work on launching new products for the Hawaiian Islands.
Canada Gets Active in Partners' Events

Hawaii Tourism Canada (HTCAN) participated in a Classic Vacations partner appreciation event in Vancouver in January. 

The well-attended event attracted more than 70 owners, managers and key agents from preferred partners including Virtuoso, Travel Leaders, CWT, Expedia and Ensemble. 

Pictured, from left to right: 
 Ruselle K. Galante, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows; Lea-Ann Goltz, HTCAN; Trish Sanzone, Hyatt Resorts Aruba; Kathy Schugg, Hyatt Resorts ­Hawaii
Canada Partners with Leading Bridal Magazine
Hawaii Tourism Canada launched a multi-element promotion at the start of 2017 with Today's Bride, Canada's leading bridal magazine.

Elements of the promotion included a page of editorial, a contest promotion page, an advertisement, and editorial that included a front cover.

The magazine has a circulation of 93,000, and each issue has a shelf life of six months.

The contest and contest entry page were promoted aggressively through social media channels and at three high-profile bridal shows.

The promotion also involved key partners, including WestJet Vacations and the Ilikai Hotel and Luxury Suites in Waikiki.
Hawaii Tourism Japan Kicks Off 2017 with
Edu-tourism Training Seminars

Hawaii Tourism Japan (HTJ) kicked off the new year with edu-tourism training seminars in January for major wholesalers in Saitama and Tokyo attended by 81 agents.

HTJ also released its new edu-tourism catalog in effort to expand its reach for this growing travel segment.

Gohoubi Reward Hawaii Campaign in Japan
Hawaii Tourism Japan announced the launch of its new Gohoubi Hawaii Campaign at a press conference in Tokyo in January.
A total of 62 journalists, 13 representatives from five travel agencies, and eight Hawaii-related companies – including JTB, H.I.S., JALPAK and ANA Sales – attended the press conference. The conference generated 224 hits from TV news, wire and online media, with 61,231,345,460 impressions and an Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) of $815,101.
The campaign aims to entice Japanese travelers via a web tool enabling them to create a proposal for a trip to Hawaii as “gohoubi,” or reward. An extensive social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram was launched alongside the release of a quartet of videos featuring four target groups and four Hawaii islands.
Japanese Millennial Initiative VEBOSS
In January, Hawaii Tourism Japan launched its new initiative, VEBOSS, specifically targeting millennial travelers.

VEBOSS is an acronym for virtual reality (V), event (E), book (B), online (O), social media (S) and survey (S) – the mix of media utilized for the initiative.


HTJ shared its first virtual reality videos in Nagoya at Tabippo Festa 2017, promoting Hawaii to more than 400 university students aspiring to travel around the world. 
Above: This video is best watched with virtual reality goggles

The event was part of a multi-city initiative hosted by Tabippo, which promotes travel opportunities to more than 5,000 millennial consumers.

Hawaii Culture Day Movie Premiere in Seoul
On January 20, Hawaii Tourism Korea (HTK) hosted a Hawaii Culture Day movie premiere, featuring a screening of the animated film Moana at Lotte Cinema Avenuel in Seoul, to highlight Hawaii’s culture and its origins for Korean tourism industry partners.
More than 100 travel industry partners were invited, including travel agents, airlines, travel media and local stakeholders, as well as consumers who won free tickets in an online event hosted on HTK’s social media channels. At the screening, HTK expressed its appreciation to partners for achieving remarkable growth in Korean arrivals to Hawaii in 2016.
HTK also provided premiere attendees with introductions to Maui and the origins of Hawaiian culture.
Two-day Aloha Roadshow
Reaches 200,000 Potential Hawaii Visitors in Hong Kong
On January 21 and 22, Hawaii Tourism Hong Kong (HTHK) partnered with Travel Expert for the Aloha Roadshow. To showcase the roadshow, Travel Expert sent out two Facebook blasts on its newsfeeds and an electronic direct mail (eDM) to 250,000 of its members. The blasts also offered attractive travel packages.
Over the roadshow’s two days, more than 200,000 potential Hawaii visitors immersed themselves in Hawaiian culture on Hong Kong’s famous Causeway Bay Fashion Walk and Stanley Main Street.
With seven valuable Hawaii and Hong Kong sponsors on board, 15 exciting prizes, and eventful Hawaii-themed activities, the roadshow succeeded in creating major awareness of Hawaii and its Aloha Spirit at two of Hong Kong's most populated spots.
Hawaii in National Cable TV Ad Flight on the Travel Chanel and HGTV
Hawaii Tourism United States (HTUSA) launched a national cable TV advertising flight on the Travel Chanel and HGTV networks in January. Set to run through the end of February, the campaign included four new 30-second brand commercial spots continuing the evolution of the #LetHawaiiHappen – Journeys campaign; four new 30-second brand commercial co-op spots with partner tags for Hawaiian Airlines, and sponsor billboards on HGTV and the Travel Channel.
Above: #LetHawaiiHappen Journey: Oahu
Also in January, HTUSA launched its new 30-second brand commercial spots in a select network of high-end movie theaters located in Hawaii’s top markets. The timing of the spots, set to screen in the theaters through March, was coordinated with the national cable television and digital paid media ad flights. 
Above: #LetHawaiiHappen Journey: Island of Hawaii
Above: #LetHawaiiHappen Journey: Maui
Above: #LetHawaiiHappen Journey: Kauai
PGA TOUR Players in Hawaii
In January, Hawaii Tourism United States launched a national cable television golf program for the 2017 Aloha Season on the Golf Channel. The programming contained multiple components and paid media promotion.

The components included an advertising flight of 30-second commercials featuring four PGA TOUR players – Zach Johnson, Jimmy Walker, David Lingmerth and Danny Lee – engaging in a personal favorite Hawaii activity; more than 37 hours of live tournament coverage; 260 hours of total programming coverage, including live tournament play, rebroadcasts, and additional hours of Hawaii tournament exposure and 120 billboards and 200 promo spots featuring "The Hawaiian Islands" logo, #LetHawaiiHappen hashtag and gohawaii.com/golf website URL.

Hawaii Showcased at the UK's Destinations:
The Holiday and Travel Show
From February 2-5, Hawaii Tourism Europe (HTE) hosted an exhibition in the Visit USA Pavilion at Destinations: The Holiday and Travel Show, the Kingdom’s largest and longest-running travel show.

The Destinations show attracted hundreds of leading and independent tour operators, more than 70 tourist boards from across the globe, cultural entertainment, international cuisine, travel celebrities and more.

The show is considered an essential event for consumers seeking travel inspiration, and a great opportunity for exhibitors hoping to tap into consumer passion for traveling.
Extensive Hawaiian Islands Editorial Pieces Published in Australia

Editorial features published in Sydney daily newspapers The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Telegraph in January, working in conjunction with Hawaii Tourism Oceania, reached an audience of 584,288 in key Australian cities, amounting to an Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) of $506,911.

Above:  The Sunday Telegraph published a feature on a Hawaii vacation for women in a broadsheet four-page spread.
Above: The Sun - Herald introduced readers to the islands of Hawaii with a feature on the Disney movie Moana.
Hawaii Tourism Conference 2017
Mark your calendars for the Hawaii Tourism Authority's annual Hawaii Tourism Conference, set for September 19-21, 2017, at the Hawaii Convention Center.  

The conference brings together travel industry thought leaders, visionaries, suppliers, operators, policy makers and the media in an innovative format designed for networking and sharing.

In addition to making sure attendees leave the conference better informed, HTA structures the three-day event with a mission of assuring everyone departs inspired, enriched and better connected with fellow key stakeholders across multiple continents in the rapidly evolving global travel marketplace.
HTA recognizes the use of the 'okina ['] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakō [ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai'i such as Lāna'i). However, HTA respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses. Due to technological limitations, this current communication may not include all Hawaiian diacritical markings.