March 2026

Waves and Updates from HTA

Hawaiʻi’s Visitor Industry Shows Up When It Matters Most

The storm has passed and we can all take a little breather to reflect on the ongoing aloha we see in action across our islands. The recent kona low storm may have resulted in postponed or cancelled events, but the torrential rains and floods could not impact the enduring aloha spirit that is so pervasive here in our islands. Our resiliency as a state stems from our concern for each other. In our islands, we recognize that we all need each other, especiallly in time of need, and make it our kuleana to take care of each other, including visitors to our islands.

State and county officials provided welcomed guidance for the visitor industry and many front-line workers of Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry courageously showed up to help. Despite the clouds casting shadows over the islands the past two weeks, the collaboration between the public and private sectors was a bright, shining example of how we all work together in Hawai‘i.

Visitor industry workers didinʻt miss a beat. They may not wear orange vests or carry badges, but the work they do matters deeply. They are the cashiers at convenience stores, servers in restaurants, valets, landscapers, housekeepers, and the crewmembers working to restore power and water and clear debris. Their smiles and guidance matter to the thousands of visitors who find themselves in the middle of the wettest storm in 20 years. They took their kuleana seriously, leaving the comfort of their homes to take care of others, often returning home to damage and flooding in their own communities. They are not always recognized as the heroes they are, but we see them, we recognize them and we thank them.



There is no doubt a lot of work ahead of us as we restore those areas that sustained damages from the rain and flooding, and we will get through this together. This is why a visit to Hawai‘i stays with you. Our current marketing campaign is not just nice words; they are grounded in reality. We create lasting, indelible memories about the people and place that are like nowhere else in the world.

30th Annual Honolulu Festival


"The show must go on!" Although the parade along Kalākaua Avenue and the fireworks for the 30th annual Honolulu Festival were cancelled, all the other activities for March 13 to 15 went on as planned. The Honolulu Festival is one of the of the 21 signature events supported by HTA for fiscal year 2026.

Despite the shifting weather conditions, Hawai‘i and Japanese exhibitors demonstrated their gambare spirit, a commitment to keep going despite the challenges. Their perseverance and tenacity paid off. Many Hawai‘i residents and visitors were able to enjoy a weekend of enriching, educational, and entertaining activities. There were musical performances, a sushi-making and tasting workshop, great food, and much more. Here are some of the activities at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

More than 3,500 visitors from Japan came to Hawai‘i to participate in the Honolulu Festival. Hawai‘i Tourism Japan (HTJ) supported attendance for the festival through its owned media platform, allhawaii, and social media channels. HTJ also worked closely with JTB to recognize the 60 top-performing travel sales staff during the festival.

Updates on Major Market Areas

HTA and its global partners are moving forward with messages to successfully attract visitors from major market areas. Here is a glimpse of the great work now underway.

Leveraging Hawaiʻi Stays With You 
Campaign in Canada 

To increase visitation and spending from Canada, Hawaiʻi Tourism Canada (HTCAN) recently went all-in with the inspiring, new campaign, Hawai‘i Stays With You, under the direction of HTA. The campaign’s tone and messaging are well suited to welcome visitors from Canada. HTCAN strategically used the materials in both direct-to-consumer and travel trade focused initiatives. 

Reaching Key Canadian Markets: 
Toronto and Calgary 

HTCAN placed the Hawai‘i campaign images on two highly visible billboards targeting affluent potential travelers in Toronto and Calagary, two major markets for Hawai‘i. At more than 80-feet long by 7-feet high, the visually compelling Toronto Wall Mural in a major walking tunnel in the downtown core, was hard to miss. It resulted in more than 1,210,000 impressions over a four-week period in February. A smaller, 20’ x 13’ billboard was installed alongside a high-traffic food court in the financial district of downtown Calgary. A campaign video clip complemented these billboards.  

Inviting Messages for Winter Olympics TV Viewers 

Canadians who streamed the Winter Olympics on CTV had front-row views of the cold, blustery competitive events, contrasted by warm, relaxing scenes from Hawai‘i. Hockey, snowboarding, and curling were interspersed with 15- and 30-second Hawai‘i Stays With You ads that ran throughout the Winter Olympics and ended on Feb. 22, generating over 442,000 targeted impressions and enjoying a VCR (Video Completion Rate) of 86%. 

Reaching Influential Canadian Travel Advisors

Recognizing the inspiring value of the four new videos, HTCAN encouraged travel advisors to view the collection. One post generated over 1,300 advisor views, reaching over 800 accounts which represents very solid engagement from the Canadian travel trade community. HTCAN also distributed the video collection to more than 2,000 travel advisors who completed HTA’s Hawai‘i Destination Specialist Program. This resulted in over 58,000 impressions with Canadian travel advisors.

Yappari Hawaiʻi Campaign Offers Enduring Value 

Hawai‘i Tourism Japan (HTJ) launched the Yappari Hawai‘i Welcome campaign in July 2025 and that campaign, which includes partnerships with 16 hotel and activity providers offering special rates for visitors, is still going strong.

To date, the campaign has generated 25,742 clicks to the web pages of participating partners and 343 bookings, including 169 room nights and 639 activity participants.

Promotional efforts included social media, digital, print, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising placements in January and February, generating more than 36 million impressions.

The Allure of the Islands for Those In the Pacific

Hawai‘i remains a leading travel destination among islanders in the South Pacific region. It’s the result of the hard work of the Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania (HTO) team’s ongoing co-operative marketing initiatives with key trade partners. For example, HTO’s partnership with Luxury Escapes, an Australian holiday package specialist, has helped contribute to a 12 percent increase in bookings for Luxury Escapes in the first quarter of 2026 over the same period last year. 

Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign Showing Positive Results

HTA is experiencing a steady return on investment on the $6 million Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign, with strong indications of restored visitor confidence in response to value-driven offers. The multi-faceted campaign deploys a combination of wholesaler partnerships, direct booking incentives, brand marketing, and travel trade engagement to restore visitor demand following the island’s tourism disruption since the Lahaina wildfires.

From July–December 2025, Maui County occupancy increased consistently year over year, reaching 67.6% in December, an increase of 7 percent year of over, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) grew 9.4 percent despite modest declines in the average daily rate (ADR). West Maui, which includes Lahaina, Kā‘anapali and Kapalua, is showing a particularly strong recovery, with occupancy gains exceeding 8–12 percent in several months and RevPAR increases reaching as high as 17.7% in August and 15.7% in December. Wholesaler performance mirrored these trends, with an aggregate 126% year-over-year gain in Maui room night for the July-December 2025 period.

Marketing and conversion programs amplified these results by generating large-scale awareness and direct traveler engagement. Paid social media and programmatic digital media collectively delivered more than 235.5 million impressions and over 660,000 clicks to the Maui Special-Offers landing page.

Brand lift studies showed strong impact, with 40% of qualified travelers from the continent recalled seeing the Hawaiʻi campaign, with particularly strong awareness in California and among travelers under 55.​Travelers who recall the ads are more familiar with Hawaiʻi, rate it higher as a destination, and are more likely to choose Hawaiʻi and Maui for a future trip than those who did not see the ads. 

Tourism Day at the Capitol

Friday, April 10, 2026, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Mahalo to Tourism Committee Chairs Sen. Lynn DeCoite and Rep. Adrian Tam for hosting the annual Tourism Day at the Capitol. The event, coordinated by the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance and the American Hotel and Lodging Association with support from HTA, has been rescheduled to Friday, April 10, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.


Meet with other industry professionals and reserve a table on the fourth floor of the Capitol to share your valuable contributions to support the visitor experience and our local economy.

We'll kick off the day with entertainment by Tihati Productions and a formal program in the Rotunda, followed by more entertainment by a Hawaiian Air Troupe and the Henry Kapono Foundation. We'll top off the day with a round table discussion.

For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Kekoa McClellan at kekoa@themcclellangroup.com.

HTA Investing in Local Programs and the Visitor Industry

HTA has five Community Funding programs to empower local organizations that help to share the essence of Hawai‘i with the rest of the world. In the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, HTA is investing more than $5 million in community-driven projects that help to preserve the unique character of our islands so that visitors and Hawai‘i residents can have an authentic experience of Hawai‘i. HTA partners with Kilohana Collective, a division of the Hawaiian Council, to administer these programs through ʻUmeke Powered by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

The Signature Events Program supports world-class events that help Hawaiʻi to remain competitive, generate media exposure for Hawaiʻi, and increase economic benefits. Signature events aim to attract attendees and participants from outside the state of Hawaiʻi through the use of extensive national and international marketing.

HTA's Community Enrichment Program supports community-based tourism projects to improve and enrich Hawaiʻi’s product offerings. These include festivals, events and year-round programs that support culture, education, health and wellness, nature, agriculture, sports, technology, and voluntourism.

The Hoʻokipa Malihini Initiative (literally “welcome guests”) is a cultural ambassadors program that provides funding support for Hawaiian programs and cultural practitioners, including craftspersons, musicians, linguists and other artists to enhance the visitor experience and foster interactions with residents. These practitioners offer regularly scheduled, free entertainment and cultural awareness programming in designated resort areas and harbors.

The Kūkulu Ola Program supports community-based initiatives initiated by nonprofit organizations, cultural practitioners, and others to celebrate and preserve Hawaiian culture. This helps ensure that Hawaiian traditions, practices, and values are shared and sustained for future generations.

The Kahu ʻĀina Program is part of HTA's commitment toward Mālama Kuʻu Home (caring for my beloved home). The program provides funding support for responsible community-based entities with an emphasis on ʻāina-Kānaka (land-human) relationships and knowledge that manage, preserve, and regenerate Hawaiʻi's natural resources and environment.

Upcoming Events in April


Mark your calendar for the following events and activities designed by the community, for the community throughout the month of April:

63^rd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival and Broadcast

An HTA Signature event

Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo

April 8 – 12, 2026

6 p.m. - midnight

This premier event celebrates Hawaiian culture through live hula competitions and exhibitions, attracting diverse local and international audiences. In partnership with Ponoi Productions and Hawaii News Now, the festival will be broadcast live and streamed globally, promoting authentic Hawaiian culture and cultural tourism. Information: hawaiinewsnow.com

FREE!

Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative

Kipa Waikoloa

An HTA Kahu ʻĀina event

Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, North Kona

Saturday, April 4 and 11, 2026

8 a.m. - noon

The Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative (WDFI) is a community-led nonprofit focused on restoring and protecting Hawaiʻi Island’s endangered native dry forest. The Kipa Waikoloa program offers place-based experiences—guided hikes, volunteer days, and cultural talk-story sessions—that engage visitors and residents in environmental stewardship and cultural education.

FREE!

2025 Kuhio Beach Hula Show & Torch lighting

Aloha Festivals

An HTA Hoʻokipa Malihini Initiative

Kūhio Beach Hula Mound in Waikīkī

Saturday, April 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2026

Tuesday, April 7 and 21, 2026

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Aloha Festivals, Hawai‘i’s longest-running cultural event for over 79 years, features the Royal Court Investiture, Waikiki Hoolaulea Street Festival, and Floral Parade, attracting over 100,000 attendees annually. Celebrating Native Hawaiian heritage, the festival engages locals and visitors through traditional practices like pau riding and lei making, while involving youth and kupuna in cultural expression.

Kamaʻāina Sunday at Iolani Palace

The Friends of Iolani Palace

An HTA Kūkulu Ola event

Sunday, April 12, 2025

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Iolani Palace 364 King St., Honolulu

Held every second Sunday of the month on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace. Free, self-led audio tour of the Palace available in nine languages, including ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and entertainment and cultural activities. Visitors are welcome and pay admission for the Palace tour.

FREE!

30th Annual East Maui Taro Festival

East Maui Taro Festivals

An HTA Community Enrichment event

Saturday, April 18, 2026

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Hana Ball Park

The 30th Annual East Maui Taro Festival in Hana, Maui, is a premier cultural and agricultural event celebrating kalo (taro). Enjoy educational exhibits on traditional Hawaiian farming and the significance of Hawaiian traditions for residents and visitors.

For more details and to see other upcoming events, visit the GoHawaii calendar of events.