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Message from George D. Szigeti
President & CEO
Hawaii Tourism Authority
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Aloha kakou,
Adding flights to the Hawaiian Islands is a clear sign of confidence in our tourism industry by air carriers able to fly their aircraft anywhere in the world.
More than ever, global travelers want to come to Hawaii. They want to bask in the beauty of our islands, feel the warmth of our aloha and experience a welcoming culture found nowhere else.
In response, Hawaiian Airlines, Philippine Airlines, AirAsia X, Virgin America, Japan Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have all either added new Hawaii routes or are expanding existing service from key markets worldwide.
The neighbor islands, in particular, are benefiting from the confidence that comes with these airlines adding new and enhanced service to Hawaii.
Collectively, these additional flights will make a significant impact in strengthening Hawaii’s economy. Beyond introducing new sources of revenue to support businesses statewide, these added flights will provide residents with new job opportunities and additional travel choices to consider when flying abroad to explore the world.
Confidence in Hawaii as a destination will also be exemplified with the launch of service by AirAsia X on June 28, with four flights weekly connecting Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Honolulu. AirAsia X is making travel to Hawaii more convenient from Malaysia while supporting increased service from a major Japan market.
Our state’s economy will benefit as more global travelers see and enjoy firsthand everything that makes being in the Hawaiian Islands such a remarkable and unmatched experience.
Mahalo to our partners and industry professionals for sharing your aloha and making Hawaii tourism such a great success.
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Register for the 2017 Global Tourism Summit!
September 19-21, 2017
Hawaii Convention Center
1801 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
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Registration is now open for the 2017 Global Tourism Summit. Interested attendees are encouraged to sign up by July 31 to take advantage of flexible discounted rates.
Register via the summit’s dedicated website,
www.globaltourismsummithawaii.com
, and choose from one of several options to attend. The Global Tourism Summit is being presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) at the Hawaii Convention Center, September 19-21.
- Individuals: Full Conference, September 19-21: $325, a savings of $70
- Groups of Eight or More: Full Conference, September 19-21: $300 per person, a savings of $65 per person
(Groups can mix and match different attendees during the conference)
- Student and Faculty Members: Full Conference, September 19-21: $150
- Individuals, Partial Conference, September 19-20: $275
- Individuals, Partial Conference, September 20-21: $265
Sponsorship and exhibitor information may be obtained by contacting Chris Sadayasu, HTA brand manager, at
chris@gohta.net
.
Sustainability is the theme of this year’s summit. How sustainability is incorporated into the future of tourism will be a featured topic of summit presentations. The significance of Hawaiian culture, global marketing, technology and innovation will also be highlighted in presentations and panel discussions, with a collective focus on improving tourism in Hawaii and abroad.
Sign up for the Global Tourism Summit and have your voice heard in helping to make tourism a stronger and better industry for everyone’s future.
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Hawaiian Stories: King Kamehameha V and Kamehameha Day
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Kamehameha V (Lot Kapuaiwa), grandson of Kamehameha I, established Kamehameha Day in 1871 to honor his grandfather’s accomplishments and contributions to the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Accounts of the first celebration in 1872 at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki reported more than 4,000 people in attendance. Although celebrations were more subdued during the overthrow of the monarchy and rapid changes that followed, a Kamehameha Day Celebration Committee was formed in 1914 to bring back the grandeur and pageantry of previous celebrations.
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The 1916 Kamehameha Day celebration in Honolulu included a parade from Aala Park to the Kamehameha statue in front of Aliiolani Hale, with lei draping and singing. The celebration continued across King Street on the grounds of Iolani Palace, at the time the Territory of Hawaii’s capitol building. Annual Kamehameha Day celebrations continue to be held throughout the Islands today.
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Hawaiian Stories: The Prince Lot Hula Festival
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Laukanaka Ka Hula (Throngs of Hula People Gather) is the theme of the 40th annual Prince Lot Hula Festival, which is being celebrated at Iolani Palace the weekend of July 15-16.
Presented by Moanalua Gardens Foundation, the festival honors Prince Lot Kapuaiwa, who reigned as Kamehameha V from 1863 to 1872 and reprised hula – which was then forbidden – in the district of Moanalua.
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The largest non-competitive hula celebration in Hawaii, the Prince Lot Hula Festival is free to attend. Enjoy performances by premier hula groups, cultural demonstrations, a Hawaiian-inspired craft fair, poi pounding workshops and entertainment.
Prince Lot Hula Festival
Iolani Palace
Saturday, July 15, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, July 16, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Free, Open to the Public
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OAHU
July 4
Now through October 16
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HTA, the island visitor bureau chapters, and Hawaii Tourism Europe, Hawaii Tourism Oceania, Hawaii Tourism Canada, Hawaii Tourism China and Hawaii Tourism Hong Kong participated in the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW, the nation’s largest international travel trade show, held in Washington, D.C., June 5-7.
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The team conducted more than 190 travel trade and 40 media appointments over three days at IPW.
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HTA also coordinated the IPW travel trade show’s Hawaii aisle and, with its Hawaii industry partners, held a client event for the top international tour operators bringing business to the Hawaiian Islands.
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Hawaii Food and Wine Festival
This year’s seventh annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival is set for October 20 through November 5. The festival is expected to prove beneficial to the state’s visitor industry and economy, as it occurs during Hawaii's fall shoulder season.
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This year’s festival will feature 15 to 20 events on Maui, the island of Hawaii and Oahu. The lineup of chefs, winemakers and mixologists to be showcased were announced at the fest’s Cuisines of the Sea launch event at The Kahala Hotel and Resort on June 2.
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Event Dates
Maui: October 20-22
Island of Hawaii: October 28
Oahu: November 1-5
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HTA Cruise Executive Summit 2017
HTA’s second annual Cruise Executive Summit kicked off in Hawaii on May 16. Executives from Crystal Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Group, Silversea Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Line and The World Residences at Sea spent a week in the Islands, conducting port inspections at Honolulu, Kona, Hilo, Nawiliwili, Kahului and Lahaina Harbors with representatives from the State Department of Transportation Harbors Division, State Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, and the Cruise Lines International Association. The summit attendees also met with industry partners on each island.
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JAL Relaunches Route to Kona
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Japan Airlines has announced plans to relaunch its daily service between Narita, Japan and Kona on the island of Hawaii, beginning September 15.
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The 199-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft – also known as a JAL Sky Suite 767 – features Japan Airlines’ newest interior design, which includes fully-flat seats in business class and more economy class legroom than previous seat configurations.
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Sushiro Gohoubi Collaborations in Japan
Hawaii Tourism Japan (HTJ) recently conducted a partnership with Sushiro, Japan’s top kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi) chain, offering customers Hawaii-themed desserts produced by Aloha Table.
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On May 17, HTJ launched another campaign featuring the following video of Sushiro’s mascot and HTJ’s Gohoubi Hawaii promotional content displayed at restaurant entrances and on the sushi-order tablets of 463 Sushiro locations across Japan. This campaign will continue through the end of June.
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Konica Minolta Planetarium in Tokyo Features Hawaii Island
Konica Minolta Planetarium’s TENKU Theater, located in the Tokyo Skytree Town shopping and entertainment complex, recently began screening the new program, Aloha Spirits – Lots of Stars in Hawaii Island.
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Running three-times daily through October 1 in the 212-seat theater, the program is expected to attract more than 80,000 attendees during its run. HTJ’s Gohoubi Hawaii three-generation family video is being shown before each screening of Aloha Spirits to boost audience interest in travel to Hawaii.
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HTJ Participates in May Consumer Shows
In May, HTJ participated in three large-scale consumer travel events – Woman Expo Tokyo, JST Nagoya Hawaii Festival and Kanku Tabihaku – in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
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Organized by Japan book and magazine publisher Nikkei and held on May 21 and 22, Woman Expo Tokyo was targeted toward working females and drew more than 12,000 attendees.
JST Nagoya Hawaii Festival, a Hawaii-themed event held May 26-28 and featuring live entertainment, arts and crafts, cultural workshops and food, offered its 300,000 attendees multiple opportunities to experience Hawaii.
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Kanku Tabihaku, held at and hosted by Kansai International Airport, attracted more than 42,000 attendees on May 27 and 28.
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Hosting a booth at each event, HTJ actively promoted the Hawaiian Islands, engaging event participants through surveys, giveaways, seminars, live talk shows and brochure distribution, as well as capturing new members for the Aloha Program and its social media platform LINE.
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Hawaii Tourism China Sets Up Camp Aloha 2017 in Shanghai, Xi’an and Beijing
Hawaii Tourism China (HTC) recently organized its 2017 China Mission, Camp Aloha, successfully holding more than 1,200 rounds of one-to-one meetings between 342 Chinese trade and MCI representatives and 25 mission partners from Hawaii.
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HTC, the island chapters and other mission partners shared Hawaii market updates with Chinese trade representatives during a series of events in Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an – cities that have provided Hawaii with immense exposure in China’s tourism market.
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In addition to three trade seminars organized in Shanghai (May 17), Xi’an (May 19) and Beijing (May 22) with more than 270 attendees, two MCI seminars were held in Shanghai and Beijing with more than 70 MICE agents, end users and educational agents in attendance. HTC expects that participating agencies will introduce more new Hawaii packages to the market as they ramp up for the summer visitor season.
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To promote Hawaii as an ideal destination for sports activities and living healthy, HTC named Wendy Wang as its China Ambassador for Happy Health Hawaii at the 2017 Camp Aloha Beijing press conference on May 22.
Posting on Chinese micro-blogging website Sina Weibo, Wendy shared her thoughts on Hawaii with more than 910,000 followers.
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A total of 48 media and four TV video media representatives covered the Camp Aloha launch, reaching an audience numbering in the millions. Wang will visit the Hawaiian Islands in June.
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Hong Kong Sales Mission Held in May
The Hong Kong sales mission and the year’s biggest U.S. destination travel trade event organized by Hawaii Tourism Hong Kong (HTHK) in Hong Kong, was held at the Hyatt Regency Kowloon on May 15.
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After two days in Hong Kong, the 10-day sales mission moved to Shanghai, Xi'an and Beijing, allowing invited Hawaii partners to create new networks and packages with hundreds of local agencies and encourage Hong Kong-based business and leisure travelers to visit Hawaii.
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Hawaii partners visiting one or more of the sales mission’s city stops included the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Ala Moana Center, Ala Moana Hotel, Avis Hong Kong, Prince Waikiki, Hawaiian Airlines, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, Korean Air, Kualoa Ranch, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach, United Airlines, and E Noa Corporation/Waikiki Trolley.
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More than 95 Hong Kong travel agency and media representatives attended the sales mission.
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U.S. Education Fairs and Advertisements Highlight Hawaii
in Hong Kong
Litz USA Student Services recently organized two U.S. education fairs in Hong Kong and Macau highlighting Hawaii as a trending overseas study and travel destination. HTHK booths at both fairs provided travel information with potential students.
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In addition, HTHK Director Yvonne Ma was a guest speaker and shared the "Top 10 Things Hong Kong Students Should do for Fun in Hawaii." The full-day Hong Kong fair attracted more than 500 attendees.
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Litz promoted the education fairs with advertisements in metro stations and newspapers including Ming Pao, Macau Daily and Sing Tao Daily. Kitty Wu of Litz USA Student Services mentioned Hawaii as an attractive study destination in JobMarket and Headline Daily – media with total readerships of more than 2.6 million.
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Korean TV Reality Series Package Tours Around the World
Films Hawaii Episode
Hawaii Tourism Korea (HTK) organized and facilitated productions on Oahu and the island of Hawaii from May 9-14 for South Korea cable network JTBC’s newly launched reality series, Package Tours Around the World.
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The series cover attractive destinations worldwide, following its hosts as they travel on package tours with actual consumers of the purchased experiences.
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The Hawaii episode will target viewers who are considering honeymoon tour packages and showcase the Islands as an ideal romance destination. The JTBC series will air in Korea on Tuesdays, from July 4 to 25.
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Hawaii to Represent North America at Summer Universiade in Taiwan
Summer Universiade, an international sports competition for universities around the world held once every two years, is earmarked as one of Taipei’s major events of 2017.
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Hawaii Tourism Taiwan (HTT) has been invited to participate in Passionate America, one of Summer Universiade’s main events, as a North American destination representative.
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With Taipei City Mayor, lots of media reporters and consumers in attendance, Passionate America is expected to provide Hawaii a good amount of exposure. Summer Universiade is set for August 19-30 in Taipei.
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Press Take Part in Aloha Sales Mission in Malaysia
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In conjunction with this year’s Aloha Sales Mission, a media session was hosted in Malaysia by Hawaii Tourism Southeast Asia (HTSEA) featuring Hawaii cultural practitioners, the Kumuola Ohana. The 36 press members in attendance were treated to a cultural session, an oli (chant) and a hula performance. Attendees were also invited to participate in the singing of a mele (song) and learn a hula from the Kumuola Ohana.
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A prize drawing included contributed items from participating Aloha Sales Mission partners and Hawaii partners. The grand prize was a return flight to Honolulu courtesy of AirAsia X; a seven-day Waikiki Trolley pass courtesy of E Noa Tours; a three-day, two-night stay at The Modern Honolulu; and a mini circle-island tour with Hawaii Global Holidays.
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'Hawaii Through a Lens' Campaign Launches in Europe
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Hawaii Tourism Europe (HTE) launched its "Hawaii Through a Lens" consumer campaign earlier this year to increase travel bookings to the Hawaiian Islands. The multifaceted campaign encompassed social media, online advertising and a brand partner element all working with tour operator partners to drive sales to Hawaii.
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The campaign's main goals included increasing Hawaii bookings through United Kingdom and Germany tour operator partners Travel Planners, Hayes & Jarvis, and CANUSA, and generating significant consumer engagement.
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A Facebook competition invited audiences to share, like and submit captions to weekly image posts for a chance to win a Hawaii holiday for two. Swarovski Optik provided two sets of pocket binoculars for the competition as prizes, as well.
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Online advertising included a "Hawaii Through a Lens" lightbox hub and three versions of an interactive Lightbox content hub on premium media websites, including The Telegraph, Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic and Sport Diver. More than 3,000 entries, 140,000 interactions and 4 million impressions via social media were recorded in the U.K.
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HTUSA Reaches an Instagram Milestone
On May 19, Hawaii Tourism United States (HTUSA) reached a new milestone of 200,000 followers on its Instagram account.
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Curated Instagram Stories celebrating the milestone in turn garnered more than 25,000 views within the first eight hours of posting.
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The related posts surrounding the milestone generated more than 190,000 total impressions.
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HTUSA Participates in Global Travel Marketplace West
From May 18-20, HTUSA participated in the fourth-annual Global Travel Marketplace West conference, which convened 100 top-producing advisers and 102 suppliers. This year's conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, attracted a record 803 applications from travel professionals based in the western U.S. and Canada.
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To qualify, prospective attendees were required to have earned a minimum $800,000 in individual sales or be the owner of a multi-million-dollar agency. HTUSA conducted four presentations for 34 agents and 54 one-on-one appointments. Hawaii suppliers included Apple Vacations, Aqua-Aston Hospitality, Delta Vacations, GOGO Worldwide Vacations, The Mark Travel Corporation, Marriott International, Norwegian Cruise Line and Travel Impressions.
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HTUSA’s Taste of Aloha Press Trip Spotlights Hawaii
as a Culinary Destination
From May 12-24, the HTUSA PR team hosted six media on Maui and Oahu for its Taste of Aloha press trip. Intended to position the Islands as a vibrant culinary destination, press trip activities showcased various Hawaii culinary experiences, restaurants, the craft cocktail and beer scene, local chefs and tastemakers.
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Experiences on the press trip itinerary included a personalized food tour with Chef Mark Noguchi of Pili Group; a tour of the Honolulu Fish Auction with Brooks Takenaka of United Fishing Agency; visits to Red Barn Farmstand, Ko Hana Rum, Hawaiian Shochu Company, Surfing Goat Dairy, Maui Ocean Vodka, Alii Kula Lavender Farm; and an intimate dinner at Chef Roy Yamaguchi’s home with tastemakers such as Catherine Toth Fox of Honolulu magazine, Chef Shaymus Alwin of Azure Restaurant, Chef George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro and Chef Vivian Wu of Yauatcha.
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Press trip media included writers representing Vogue.com, 7x7.com, Bon Appetit, Put A Egg On It, Extra Crispy and Scripps Networks Interactive (Food Network and Cooking Channel).
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Hawaii Tourism Canada Takes Over The Nation!
The Hawaii Tourism Canada (HTCAN) team visited
Travel Nation,
a key travel call centre and online travel agency partner, and conducted three very successful Travel Consultant training sessions.
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Top Canadian Agents Visit Maui
A group of 15 top-producing travel agents from Canada had an amazing FAM experience on Maui. This opportunity was brought together by the Canadian Representative for Honua Kai, in collaboration with the Maui Visitors Bureau, with some support from HTCAN.
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The agents visited popular sites and attractions, conducted resort site inspections, and learned how to best position Maui to the luxury traveler.
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HTO Launches #MonthofLei Social Media Photo Campaign in Australia
To celebrate Lei Day on May 1, Hawaii Tourism Oceania (HTO) Australia launched an Instagram and Facebook competition inspiring followers who had already visited Hawaii to post the best photos from their trips and add the hastag #MonthofLei.
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During each week of the competition, HTO promoted a Hawaii experience and encouraged its followers to post their own photos relating to Hawaii's outdoors, adventures, rest and relaxation, cuisine, and Hawaiian culture.
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HTO Instagram and Facebook followers submitting entries were offered an opportunity to win a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses and a grand prize of flights to Hawaii.
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Audience response to the social media campaign was huge. HTO received 4,695 photo entries – with 3,030 posts utilizing its #MonthofLei hashtag on Instagram – 42 influencer posts, 626,865 Instagram impressions, and 291,659 Facebook impressions.
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FLUX Magazine Pop-up Store in Australia Sponsored by HTO
HTO was the major sponsor of a Hawaii pop-up store event in Sydney, Australia, organized by
FLUX magazine and its publisher Nella Media Group.
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The event brought together a select group of Hawaii artisans, musicians and designers to showcase their art with a theme of “Modern Hawaii.”
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The three-day pop-up event included a media opening night and a lineup of performances and demonstrations by several artists. The pop-up also coincided with the conclusion of HTO’s Month of Lei social media campaign.
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HTO Joins Helloworld and Hawaiian Airlines For
Cooperative Australian Campaign
From April 30 through May 14, HTO, in conjunction with Helloworld Travel and Hawaiian Airlines, launched a two-week, fully integrated campaign promoting packaged holiday vacations to Oahu, Kauai, the island of Hawaii and Maui.
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The campaign utilized key channels, including metro and regional media, radio, an in-show segment on Australian breakfast television show Today, flyers, digital, paid social media and travel agent support.
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The campaign was also featured on Helloworld’s online trade portal – which records more than 3,800 views per month – and distributed to its in-store agents.
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Campaign products were also available for agents to download and use locally for both Viva! Holidays and Helloworld.
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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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