Message from George D. Szigeti
President & CEO
Hawaii Tourism Authority
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Aloha mai kakou,
Mahalo to everyone who has supported the relief efforts for the residents of Kauai’s north shore. Your kindness, generosity and thoughts for these people and the plight they will be coping with for many months to come is appreciated.
Work is ongoing around the clock to repair the extensive damage to homes, buildings, facilities, infrastructure and land areas that resulted from the record-setting rainfall and flooding of April 14-15.
We learned last week that nearly 50 inches of rain, a national record, fell on parts of Kauai’s north shore over a 24-hour period. One can understand why the damage was so extensive from this once-in-a-lifetime thunderstorm.
Kuhio Highway, the only roadway connecting the northernmost communities of Wainiha and Haena with the rest of Kauai, remains closed to private vehicle traffic for safety reasons. Only emergency vehicles are being allowed to pass through at this time.
Tremendous progress is being made every day by State of Hawaii and County of Kauai emergency work crews to repair the damage and, step-by-step, get life back to normal for the hundreds of residents living in these small, rural communities.
The people of Hawaii have come together in full, unified support of the relief and recovery efforts. An abundance of food, fresh water and essential supplies have poured in from around the state to assist residents of Wainiha and Haena.
Our state lawmakers have appropriated $125 million in emergency funding to repair the damages in Kauai’s north shore and communities of east Oahu, the two areas hit hardest by the thunderstorm.
HTA is funding a shuttle service that is carrying residents of Wainiha and Haena to gather food, water and supplies, receive medical treatment, and have children be educated in a makeshift school at Hanalei Colony Resort.
The recovery of Kauai’s north shore continues diligently every day. All we ask of everyone is to respect these relief efforts and allow them to continue without interruption.
Please also know that everywhere else on Kauai was largely unaffected by the thunderstorm. Except for Wainiha to Haena, the rest of Kauai is open for business. We encourage anyone wanting to experience the Garden Island to please come. There is so much to enjoy and admire on Kauai.
Mahalo for your continued support of Hawaii’s tourism industry and the residents, families, businesses and communities who depend on its success.
With Warmest Aloha,
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May Day Is Lei Day In Hawaii
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Hawaii residents honor special people and achievements with lei year-round. But on
May 1 each year, the humble lei itself is feted with honors as May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.
The roots of Hawaii’s Lei Day celebration can be traced back to 1901 and a church on the island of Hawaii, which presented the first public performance of the song “Na Lei O Hawaii,” honoring the goddess Hiiakaikapoliopele and her travels across the Islands. The song also recounts lei symbolic of each island.
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As the song became a favorite at gatherings over the next decade, one particular performance in 1909 included pageantry with participants dressing in island colors and wearing island lei. Following in the wake of that performance, today’s Lei Day celebrations date back to 1928 and the first official Lei Day in Honolulu on Oahu.
The spirit of that original Lei Day has continued annually for nine decades as celebrations have grown in communities across the Hawaiian Islands. Featuring a lei contest, lei and craft vendors, music and hula, the City and County of Honolulu will again hold its annual Lei Day Celebration on May 1 at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. The Hawaii Tourism Authority is proud to support this and other Lei Day celebrations throughout Hawaii. Visit
gohawaii.com/trip-planning/events-festivals for event details.
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Did you know that each Hawaiian island has a lei that represents it?
- Niihau’s lei is made of tiny pupu, or shells, unique to the island’s shores.
- Kauai’s lei is made of the fragrant mokihana berry.
- Oahu’s flower is the paper-thin ilima blossom, of which thousands are needed to string a lei.
- Molokai’s lei is kukui, the fruit of the candlenut tree, found in the island’s famed Lanikaula grove.
- Lanai’s lei is the kaunaoa, a stringy plant that grows along the ground near the shore.
- Kahoolawe’s lei is the long-lasting hinahina.
- Maui’s lei is the lokelani, a little pink rose introduced to Maui in the 1800s.
- The island of Hawaii’s lei is crafted with lehua, the small red blossoms of the ohia tree.
Know your lei and celebrate the island you reside on or visit.
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Celebrating Hawaii’s Music Through Mele Mei
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Hawaii’s music is a powerful force. Just a few strums of an ukulele or guitar can transport us from wherever we are in the world to a sunrise atop Haleakala volcano, a cherished family home by the shore, the beach at Waikiki, and share the stories of those who came before us.
You can enjoy the best of Hawaii’s music, hula and culture at the celebrations of Mele Mei, now in its eighth year. Once a monthlong celebration held each May, Mele Mei festivities have since outgrown the month, with events now running from April to June.
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Throughout Mele Mei, some of Hawaii’s finest musicians will be playing at special engagements across Hawaii and in Japan. Mele Mei’s A Lei of Stars brunch concert will honor the most recent inductees into the Hawaiian Music Hall Of Fame on May 1. And the 41st annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards ceremony on May 19 will recognize the best music of the last year from Hawaii recording artists in what is often described as Hawaii’s Grammy awards.
HTA is a proud supporter of Mele Mei. For a full listing of events, visit
melemei.com.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Global Tourism Summit
October 1-3, 2018, Hawaii Convention Center
More details, including online registration information with early-bird discounts, will be announced soon. Mahalo!
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OAHU
May 1
May 5
May 5-6
May 20
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MAUI
Ongoing through Dec. 2
Ongoing in 2018
May 3-5
May 4, 7, 9, 11
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ISLAND OF HAWAII
Ongoing through Dec. 31
April 21-May 6
May 5-6
May 20
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KAUAI
Ongoing through Dec. 31
Ongoing through Dec. 31
May 1
May 4
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HTA-Sponsored LEI Program Supports Workforce Development
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HTA sponsors the LEI program (Leadership, Exploration and Inspiration), Hawaii’s largest workforce development program, in partnership with ClimbHI.
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In April, more than 1,000 high school students in all island counties learned through the LEI program what makes tourism such an excellent career choice.
The students took part in resort site inspections and met with tourism executives to learn about the opportunities in Hawaii’s number one industry.
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Continued success for Hawaii’s tourism industry depends on workforce development and encouraging Hawaii’s next generation to stay home and work in tourism.
HTA is proud to sponsor the LEI program and hopes to see these students leading Hawaii’s tourism industry in the years to come.
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Meet Hawaii Expands Internationally
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Meet Hawaii has expanded its sales and marketing efforts to 11 international regions to drive more meetings, conventions and incentives business for the Hawaiian Islands.
A collaboration of HTA’s Global Marketing Team and the Hawaii Convention Center, Meet Hawaii’s international sales force is now present in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Meeting planners and groups can communicate with a Hawaii expert in their respective region, enhancing sales opportunities to secure single property and citywide group business.
A key message being delivered is that groups can successfully do business anywhere in the Hawaiian Islands, as Meet Hawaii will provide all the support needed to ensure a rewarding program that fulfills their objectives.
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Festival and Event Organizers Earn Prestigious Certification
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Ninety-six festival and event organizers statewide have earned the distinction of being a Certified Festival & Event Associate, thanks to a program supported by HTA and the Maui County Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
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Offered in collaboration with the International Festivals and Events Association, the Certified Festival and Event Executive Core Curriculum Program helps organizers successfully host events by enhance their knowledge of marketing, management and operations.
Many organizers plan to continue with the program in the year ahead to become a Certified Festival & Event Executive.
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HTUSA-Led Travel Trade Team Blitzes California
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A travel trade team led by Hawaii Tourism United States (HTUSA) with representatives from its island chapter bureaus and 21 Hawaii suppliers took part in the U.S. West Leisure Sales Blitz, March 12-15.
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Hawaii’s largest market, California, was the focus for the promotion blitz with travel agent training workshops hosted in Sacramento, Walnut Creek, Universal City and Newport Beach.
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Altogether, the Hawaii team reached 316 travel advisors during the blitz with destination and certification training workshops, as well as supplier tradeshows and roundtable sessions. The Hawaii Destination Specialist workshop was attended by 95 travel agents, with an additional 157 agents attending the Island Chapter updates.
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Maui, Kauai Highlighted to Bay Area Readers
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A series of articles showcasing the diversity of activities to be enjoyed on Maui and Kauai was recently published by the Bay Area News Group’s
The Mercury News. Journalist Jessica Yadegaran wrote the stories based on her personal experiences from earlier this year.
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A variety of activities, restaurants and hotel partners were highlighted in the articles, such as
Three Best Hawaiian Luaus on Maui, Five Fantastic Maui Restaurants, Eat Drink Shop and Zipline at Maui Tropical Plantation, and
An Off-Road Adventure Through Kauai’s Historic Kipu Ranch.
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The Mercury News is distributed daily with an online viewership of 9.4 million unique visitors per month.
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Kau Coffee Featured in Food & Wine
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To strengthen Hawaii’s standing as a unique culinary destination, HTUSA worked with journalist Jenn Rice for an article in
Food & Wine highlighting the coffee of Kau.
Rice’s article,
The Hawaiian Coffee Region That Everyone’s Buzzing About, resulted from her visit to the Island of Hawaii and Oahu last December and subsequent interviews with Kau coffee enthusiasts in February.
The story highlights Big Island Coffee Roasters, Kau Forest Coffee, Kau Specialty Coffee, the Kau Coffee Festival and various Kau coffee experts on the Island of Hawaii.
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Japan Travel Companies Collaborate for Kohala Coast Shuttle
Seven travel agencies that compete for business in the Japan market have teamed up to support a new shuttle serving hotels and shopping facilities on the island of Hawaii's Kohala Coast.
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The Kohala Coast Evening Shuttle launched April 1, giving visitors a convenient mode of transportation to enhance the quality of their experience and discover more restaurants, retail shops and resort activities to enjoy.
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The shuttle runs continuously each day from 3:00-11:00 p.m. with stops at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hapuna Beach Resort, Fairmont Orchid, The Shops at Mauna Lani, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Kings’ Shops, and Queens’ Market Place.
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Congratulations and mahalo to ANA Sales, H.I.S., JALPAK, JTB, Kintetsu, NTA, and TTA for collaborating to provide this new customer-focused shuttle service. Mahalo also to the Kohala Coast Resort Association, Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau and Hawaii Tourism Japan (HTJ) for their support in initiating the shuttle service.
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Hawaii Girls Night Targets Romance Market in Nagoya
HTJ hosted Hawaii Girls Night in Nagoya on March 22, an event designed to interest women in considering Hawaii for destination weddings and honeymoons.
The romance-themed event featured a wedding fashion show with aloha attire, a variety of exhibit booths, live music by Eden Kai, celebrity and influencer talk shows, a presentation on enjoying Hawaii by HTJ, and a raffle drawing for prizes.
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Attendance was limited to 400 guests, although more than 900 applications to participate were received. The event targeted Nagoya to tap into the region’s potential as a Japan romance market.
Mahalo to sponsors Watabe Wedding, Iolani (aloha wear), Delta Airlines, H.I.S., JST, Lomilomi shop, and Takami Bridal.
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Hawaii Night Wins Over Toronto Raptors’ Fans
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The Hawaiian Islands was the big winner when the Toronto Raptors took on the L.A. Clippers at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on March 25. The special Hawaii Night event provided the 20,000 fans in attendance with high-energy promotions, contests, music, foam shaka hands and more island-themed fun. One lucky couple won a trip to Hawaii.
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Hawaii Tourism Canada (HTCAN) helped the Raptors in creating the promotion, along with support from key travel partners Air Canada, WestJet, Flight Center, and Norwegian Cruise Lines.
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Canada Journalists Savor Maui’s Culture and Cuisine
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With strong support from the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau, HTCAN brought four top-notch journalists from Canada to Maui and Molokai recently to enjoy a range of cultural and culinary activities.
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Highlights included a visit to Halawa Valley and superb farm-to-table meals. The experience received rave reviews from the journalists and will reinforce to their readers all there is to enjoy when vacationing in Hawaii.
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Oceania Co-Op Marketing Campaigns
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Hawaii Tourism Oceania (HTO) recently supported three co-operative trade and consumer marketing campaigns to promote Hawaii in collaboration with travel partners MyHawaii, Hoot Holidays/Travel Managers, and Travel Councilors Co-operative Campaign.
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These multi-channel campaigns incorporated digital marketing, public relations, social media and media coverage with the purpose of increasing Hawaii bookings during a historically popular period for planning vacations.
Advertising exposure for the campaigns was valued at more than $1.2 million.
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Travel Weekly
Publishes
How to Sell Hawaii
Supplement
In its February-April edition,
Travel Weekly magazine published an 18-page
How to Sell Hawaii supplement that was distributed to more than 6,100 travel trade professionals throughout Oceania.
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The supplement promotes a diversity of experiences on each of the Hawaiian Islands and provides an overview of activities for families and couples to enjoy. Also highlighted is HTO’s new NorthStar Destination Agent Training Platform in a full-page advertisement.
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Inaugural Hawaii Ball Showcased in Seoul
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Hawaii Tourism Korea (HTK) partnered with the American Chamber of Commerce Korea to support the organization’s inaugural Hawaii Ball on March 3.
Held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, the ball showcased the beauty and appeal of the Hawaiian Islands to more than 700 attendees, including senior members of the business community and officials from the U.S. and Korean governments.
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Hawaiian Airlines, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa and Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk joined HTK with sponsorship support and providing door prizes, such as hotel vouchers and air tickets.
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Media Interviews Promote Hawaii to Korea Travel Trade
HTK recently organized a Hawaii media round table with key travel trade publications to support sales efforts at the Millennium Hilton Seoul on March 28. The media interviews were done in conjunction with the Hilton Hawaii Sales Mission in Korea.
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Topics covered with the media included outbound travel trends to Hawaii from different sectors of the industry, including airlines, hotels and tourism offices.
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GoHawaii Korean Website Development
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The Korean language version of the GoHawaii website was launched on April 5. HTK conducted reviews of the content and provided translation. HTK extensively promoted the new website to media and travelers throughout Korea with a press release, e-newsletter and social media consumer campaign.
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Hawaii Promoted at Tourism Expo in Xi’an
Hawaii Tourism China (HTC) showcased Hawaii as a premium travel destination at the Silk Road International Tourism Expo 2018 from March 30 to April 1.
Held in Xi’an, the expo was a great opportunity to reach Northwest China’s tourism market. HTC invited 10 local key travel agents to promote Hawaii products at their exhibit booth. Many expo visitors made appointments with the agents to further discuss the tour packages. Hula performances were also featured on the expo’s main stage.
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The Hawaii booth made such a positive impression, it received the “Best Creativity” award from the expo organizer. The booth also garnered attention from media, including Xi’an Information Radio FM106.1, Shaanxi TV and Shaanxi Channel 2.
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China Travel Agencies FAM Island of Hawaii and Oahu
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HTC brought 12 representatives of top travel agencies from seven second-tier cities in China to experience the island of Hawaii (March 26-28) and Oahu (March 28-April 1. The group did site inspections of nine hotels and 11 attractions and engaged in-depth discussions about the Chinese market with industry stakeholders.
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HTC worked with China Eastern Airlines to offer special airfares and policies to the travel agencies to promote travel to Hawaii in the second-tier cities of Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, and Hefei.
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Hawaii Tourism Hong Kong Partners with Korean Air on
Trade Education FAM
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Seven leading travel agents from Hong Kong recently learned what makes the Hawaiian Islands such an attractive destination to share with their clients, as they took part in a comprehensive six-day trade education FAM, March 2-8.
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Organized by Hawaii Tourism Hong Kong (HTHK) with partnership support from Korean Air, the FAM expanded the agents’ knowledge about the Hawaiian Islands’ diversity of offerings and strengthened Hawaii’s position for inclusion in upcoming travel agency programs.
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Hawaii Showcased at Oceania Festival in Hong Kong
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To help reach Hong Kong’s younger generation of travelers, Hawaii was one of the featured destinations at the inaugural Oceania Festival, held at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, March 5-23.
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HTHK organized the Hawaii exhibits and workshops with a focus on educating the students about culture. A highlight was the sessions of hula lessons offered to students by the Hong Kong International Hula Association. HTHK provided festival attendees with information about Hawaii and sponsored prize giveaways.
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The festival generated good media exposure among this emerging travel audience, with online coverage on
Oriental Daily reaching more than 131,000 viewers.
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Aloha with Locals
Video Series in Taiwan
Starting in May and extending through summer will be a series of online videos shown in Taiwan about the Hawaiian Islands under the theme
Aloha with Locals.
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A partnership between Hawaii Tourism Taiwan (HTT) and the Black Buddha Media Group, the videos were filmed during March on Oahu, Kauai and Maui to highlight the variety of travel experiences. Audiences in Taiwan have already received a sneak preview of the video content through social media postings made by the show’s host during the filming.
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HTT, Travel Trade Partners Team Up for Co-Op Campaign
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In March, HTT collaborated with several top travel trade partners on a co-op campaign in Taiwan to promote vacation bookings in Hawaii. The campaign featured three key components to help drive visitor traffic to Hawaii during March.
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First, HTT secured six Taiwan travel trade partners to handle the booking of trips, Phoenix Tours, SET Tours, Artisan Tour, FTS Tour, Lion Travel, and Cola Tour. Secondly, China Airlines offered special airfares to interest travelers in booking Hawaii. Finally, a prominently placed billboard ad promoting Hawaii was displayed at one of Taipei’s busiest subway stations to further entice travelers about enjoying a vacation in Hawaii.
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Journey Through the Lens Contest in Malaysia
Hawaii Tourism Southeast Asia (HTSEA) recently utilized social media and photography to organize an innovative contest promoting Hawaii travel to Malaysian residents.
Held from December 24 to February 8, the
Journey Through the Lens contest asked people to submit photos of themselves with the caption “Wish I were in Hawaii right now!” and the hashtags #HawaiiExperienceTheDream and #AlohaHawaiiMY17.
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The campaign generated a good response on social media, with nearly 200 photos submitted. The grand prize winner received an Oahu trip giveaway, new Fujifilm camera and private photography lessons while in Hawaii. HTSEA helped develop the itinerary, which included non-traditional activities such as surfboard making and traditional cultural tattoos.
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Hawaii Videos Displayed at Malaysia’s Premier Travel Agent Fair
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HTSEA partnered with Top Media, the official media partner for the Malaysian Association of Tour Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair, to show augmented reality videos promoting Hawaii during the group’s annual convention, March 16-18.
MATTA Fair is Malaysia’s number one consumer travel event drawing more than 110,000 visitors. Hawaii generated lots of attention during the three-day fair as the augmented reality videos were displayed on a large, 17-foot by 10-foot LED panel located in the high-traffic area near the ticket booths.
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In addition, images from the video were included in the e-publication distributed to attendees. The e-publication included a virtual button that linked to the GoHawaii website and contact information for HTSEA’s representatives.
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Hawaii On Screen Promotion with Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines
Hawaii Tourism Europe (HTE) introduced an incentive to book Hawaii in partnership with Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines through the
Hawaii On Screen program. Launched in February, the trade sales incentive featured a movie-themed competition hosted online at vsflyinghub.
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A total of 716 bookings were logged during the campaign period and the competition page was the third most viewed page of February behind the vsflyinghub homepage.
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Lonely Planet Campaign Features Culture, Activities and Cuisine
Also, in February, HTE launched a campaign partnering with Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide book publisher, and German tour operator and travel agency FTI Touristik, which promotes Hawaii through a brochure and extensive product offerings.
The online campaign with Lonely Planet focused on culture, outdoor activities and cuisine and featured a special microsite highlighting information about all of the Hawaiian Islands.
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Consumers were asked to answer five questions about their dream Hawaii vacation, with FTI Touristik creating special packages to match their interests, along with offering a chance to win a sponsored trip to the islands.
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Hawaii Travel Promoted at Scandinavia Consumer Events
In March, the HTE team represented Hawaii at the Scandinavia FDM Swanson travel shows in Osby and Copenhagen, Denmark, participating in a B2B event and two consumer shows and meeting with key product managers.
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Interest in Hawaii was strong at the events and product managers reported that Hawaii has been selling well since the start of the year with a lot of bookings already in place for 2019.
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Keep in touch with HTA via social media:
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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.
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