Kamehameha I, 1810-1819

Even before uniting the Hawaiian Islands under his rule, the man who would become known as Kamehameha the Great possessed great ambition, battling his rivals to become king of the island of Hawaii. With the help of European weaponry and solid leadership, he eventually conquered Maui, Lanai, Molokai and, finally, Oahu to become Kamehameha I. Kauai and Niihau later joined the newly formed Kingdom of Hawaii peacefully. 

The first ruler of the unified Hawaiian Islands, Kamehameha the Great became a king who ruled with wisdom, foresight, fairness and compassion. Some of the laws he created would become the foundation of current laws in Hawaii’s Constitution.

Responding to industry feedback and seeking to capitalize further on China’s emerging travel market, HTA recently announced the expansion of its tourism marketing efforts to include Hong Kong through its marketing contractor BrandStory Asia.  

The May 24 launch celebration in Hong Kong had more than 120 representatives of leading media, travel trade partners and airlines in attendance. Air carriers sending representatives included American Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air and United Airlines.

Guests enjoyed authentic Hawaiian music and hula by Tihati Productions, and a series of live and interactive events including sketching, an opportunity to create their own poke, and an artist capturing the beauty of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a large canvas. The Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina and The Modern Honolulu each sponsored three-night oceanfront room accommodations paired with Hawaii round-trip airfare for two, as event grand prizes.

Asia's long established and Hong Kong's only travel fair, ITE & MICE 2016, was held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, June 16-19. The travel fair drew 12,081 buyers and trade visitors and 87,812 visitors.

Hawaii Tourism Hong Kong's participation at ITE & MICE 2016 marked its inaugural presence at a major international travel exhibition since the launch of its new office.

HTHK's pavilion featured a range of activities to entice guests and create interest among the large crowds.

HTHK also hosted three successful seminars for travel trade and consumers, providing in-depth insights into Hawaii as a travel destination. In addition, a total of 48 media articles were generated about the Hawaii showcase.

Randy Baldemor, chief operating officer of HTA, participated in the opening ceremony that also featured many regional VIPs including Cathy Chu, Commissioner for Tourism of Tourism Commission Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Hong Kong, and The Honorable Gregory So, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Hong Kong.

Staff from HTA; its United Kingdom, China and Australia offices; its island chapter bureaus; and its public relations agency Anthology Marketing Group took part in the U.S. Travel Association's IPW 2016, held in New Orleans, June 19-22.  

IPW is the travel industry's premier international marketplace, with more than 1,300 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries in attendance.  

Over three days at IPW 2016, the team conducted more than 150 appointments with representatives of the travel trade and media. 

HTA also set up and coordinated a Hawaii section at IPW 2016’s Brand USA Marketplace Hall to highlight the destination and its 32 industry partners.

Island Explorers

HVCB assisted New York based Left/Right Productions with an exciting new mini-series called “Island Explorers,” which premiered on the Travel Channel over the July 4th weekend. Click here for more information.

W Magazine

The June/July issue of W Magazine included a 20-page print feature focused on the natural beauty, fashion and people of Hawaii.

The spread also profiles prominent Hawaii residents, including Allison Sarofim, Paul Theroux, Garret McNamara, Princess Dialta Alliata, Kapono Souza, Taimane Gardner and Pat Lang.

W Magazine also featured the Hawaiian Islands online showcasing the favorite Oahu spots of Sarofim and Theroux, along with social media coverage on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Click here for more information.

Hawaii Tourism Taiwan announced at a recent press conference that it will hold its second annual Hawaii Crystal Run at Fulong Beach, New Taipei City on September 3, featuring three runs of different distances: 24.5km, 9km & 5km.

HTT's Managing Director Andrew Koh said that Hawaii is known for its annual running events, such as the Hapalua half-marathon.

To share the experience of what it is like to run on the beaches of Hawaii, the inaugural Hawaii Run organized by HTT in 2015 was held on Fulong Beach, attracting more than 5,000 runners to the event.

The 2016 Taipei Tourism Expo was held at the Taipei World Trade Center from May 20-23.  Iconic images of Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Island of Hawaii were showcased in a backdrop at the expo, with a photo wall featuring Hawaii’s Destination Ambassador, celebrity Ruby Lin.

Maps and brochures spotlighting the Hawaiian Islands were made available for expo visitors, alongside travel planners, education guides and brochures from other stakeholders. A series of activities were hosted by Hawaii Tourism Taiwan's booth, including surveys of visitor experiences and impressions of Hawaii. The “Share the Aloha” campaign was also advertised.

The expo drew more than 340,000 visitors over a span of four days.

Hawaii Tourism China is a supporter of the popular Chinese television series We Are In Love. 

While in Hawaii, Shawn Yue (of Hong Kong) and Dongyu Zhou (of Mainland China), the program’s celebrity couple, experienced an amazing romantic journey, which included dancing hula, diving, practicing yoga, taking off on a water jet pack, watching the sunrise from Diamond Head, and camping on Secret Island on Oahu’s Windward Coast.

The series also spotlighted beautiful scenery on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and the Island of Hawaii.

We Are In Love is one of China’s top-rated Sunday television shows, generating heated discussions on Weibo, WeChat and HD Video Portal.

The page views for We Are In Love’s Weibo topic page reached 7.67 billion, with more than 5 million comments.

Japan Airlines has officially announced the addition of more seasonal flights between Narita International Airport and Honolulu International Airport for September and October 2016.

The airline will be utilizing 186-seat Boeing 787-8 aircraft for the added flights.

The 59 total round-trip flights scheduled for both months will add 10,974 air seats to the market. 

Click here for more information.

Governor David Ige and the Hawaii State Department of Health reminds the public to remain vigilant and to continue taking proactive measures in keeping Hawaii free of mosquito-borne diseases.

Its Fight the Bite website provides useful tips and information on how you can protect yourself and Hawaii from the harm mosquitoes can cause. Simply using insect repellent while enjoying nature and taking steps to eliminate standing water where mosquitoes cluster and breed can help keep Hawaii safe and healthy.

For more information, please visit FightTheBiteHawaii.com.