Video Message From
HTA President and CEO John De Fries
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Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The life of the land is perpetuated in that which is pono.
Hawaiʻi’s state motto is a phrase first uttered on July 31, 1843, at O‘ahu’s Thomas Square by Keaweaweʻula Kīwalaʻō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa, then reigning as Kamehameha III, when the sovereignty — or, in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, the ea — of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was returned by Britain. As a state entity, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority upholds this kuleana with respect for all who have come before us and for the future of Hawaiʻi by working with all who now call Hawaiʻi home. Our journey toward regenerative tourism has been an ongoing huakaʻi alongside our community and our other guiding pillars — Hawaiian Culture, Natural Resources and Brand Marketing — ensuring everything we do is so the life of the land is indeed perpetuated in that which is pono.
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HTA Winter Tourism Update
Registration is now available for our Winter Tourism Update, which will be held during a live, virtual presentation on Wednesday, February 9, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. HST. The presentation will be made via Zoom and registration is free and open to the public.
During this update, we will be sharing our progress on fulfilling HTA’s Strategic Plan, with a focus on our brand marketing pillar which is aimed at protecting and enhancing Hawai‘i’s globally competitive brand in a way that is coordinated, authentic, and market-appropriate.
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Hawai‘i Tourism Authority President and CEO John De Fries and Chief Brand Officer Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā discuss the ways tourism can work better with our community in “ Reshaping Tourism,” an article published in this month’s issue of Ka Wai Ola. They are joined in the discussion by Native Hawaiian Hospitality Associaton Executive Director Mālia Sanders and ʻĀina Aloha Economic Futures founding member Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, who share the vision of reshaping tourism in Hawaiʻi, for Hawaiʻi. |
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Destination Management Action Plans (DMAPs)
The DMAPs for each island are being implemented with community leading the way, including HTA’s partnerships with county and state agencies and the visitor industry. With a full team of island visitors bureau destination managers now in position, HTA is excited to enter phase two of the second year of our DMAPs.
“While there is much to accomplish, we have made good progress so far,” says Caroline Anderson, HTA’s Director of Planning. “I look forward to continued collaboration to strengthen the management of tourism and the recovery of our visitor industry.”
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Kūkulu Ola Program
“The Kūkulu Ola program allows the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority to support the important work of these organizations in perpetuating the Hawaiian culture and our identity as a people through various projects, programs and events,” said Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā, HTA’s Chief Brand Officer, referring to the community awardees under the program’s umbrella. “Investing in our communities remains a significant part of our efforts and strategic plan for fostering a better Hawai‘i for generations to come.”
Recently, HTA announced $1,575,000 in funding supporting 32 community-based programs in Hawai‘i through our Kūkulu Ola program for 2022. Awardees include qualified community groups, practitioners and craftspeople committed to strengthening a broader understanding and appreciation of Hawaiian culture through place-based activities and engagement on each island.
This month, we are spotlighting Kūkulu Ola awardee Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA) and its Year of the Limu 2022 project, which aims to create awareness of limu as a crucial part of Hawaiʻi’s healthy and productive reef ecosystems as well as Hawaiʻi’s culture and identity.
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Aloha ʻĀina Program
HTA is also looking forward to supporting 31 community-based programs statewide in 2022 through our Aloha ‘Āina program, which Chief Brand Officer Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā describes as, “A way for the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority to directly support the organizations making a difference in our environment by educating and engaging people in the stewardship of our natural environment.”
HTA’s $1,575,000 in funding for the program will support qualified organizations protecting and improving the natural environment, as well as support a more holistic, regenerative tourism model for Hawai‘i.
“We appreciate the efforts of these organizations and the communities that have embraced them as we collectively mālama our home,” said Kalani.
One of the organizations HTA is supporting through Aloha ʻĀina is the Hawaiʻi Land Trust and its Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes and Wetland Cultural and Ecological Restoration at Kapoho project. Located on Maui, the Waiheʻe Refuge spans almost the entire makai section of an ahupuaʻa spanning from Kalaekahoʻomano in the west and Waiheʻe Stream to the east. Formerly used as a dairy and military training site, both of which affected native vegetation and rich archeological and cultural resources within the ahupua‘a, the trust has since gained ownership allowing it to steward and protect this ʻāina kupuna.
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Setting The Record Straight
We appreciate Honolulu Civil Beat for covering HTA’s Mālama Hawai‘i program in a recent article, and would like to provide further context to help set the record straight. Our work in educating visitors about the value of mālama is just getting started. Mālama Hawai‘i launched last year to help our communities and economy recover during a time when our budgets were drastically reduced, therefore without the time and marketing resources required to make meaningful impact. We are also mindful that an unscientific survey is just that; it doesn’t represent the majority of the market being surveyed. HTA is undoubtedly committed to amplifying our mission of Mālama Ku‘u Home (caring for my beloved home) with visitors and residents alike. We invite everyone to watch our Mālama Hawaiʻi videos, which are being amplified across multiple channels as part of our visitor education efforts. |
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The word “marketing” has become a sensitive one in Hawaiʻi as it relates to tourism. In HTA’s Spring 2021 Resident Sentiment Survey, 88% of kamaʻāina indicated their belief that it was “extremely or somewhat important to educate visitors and residents to mālama the islands and each other.” And that is exactly what HTA’s marketing efforts have been all about. Our Brand Management Team is helping educate all of our international and domestic markets about the importance of Mālama Hawaiʻi. As this is a collective kuleana, it is also being shared with industry partners worldwide. |
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In December, Hawai‘i Tourism USA and the Island Chapters hosted The Hawaiian Islands: Mālama Ambassadors, a virtual trade event that highlighted the Mālama Hawai‘i initiative and included videos and interviews with four Mālama ambassadors. Each of the ambassadors shared the importance of mālama from a local perspective, Safe Travels updates, and ways in which visitors can give back while in the Islands. Over 500 travel advisors and 30 travel partners participated in the live event, with an additional 108 on-demand views earned through the end of December. The event broadcast and resources will be accessible on travelagentcentral.com through June. |
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Hawai‘i Tourism Japan (HTJ) continues to share Mālama Hawaiʻi initiatives with residents of Nagoya. A recent online tour event, held in partnership with Chubu Centrair International Airport and Japan Airlines, attracted 3,500 attendees, with more than 1,000 participating in a follow-up survey that will help HTJ identify future opportunities to share the Mālama Hawaiʻi message.
HTJ’s team also included Japanese subtitles in HTA’s “Ahupuaʻa” video, which earned more than half a million impressions in the Fall/Winter.
In its continuing efforts to entice more Japanese travelers to support Hawaiʻi businesses, HTJ is also helping promote O‘ahu’s annual Made in Hawaiʻi Festival as it looks ahead into the new year. |
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Hawai‘i Tourism Canada worked with Canadian air carrier WestJet to run an educational branding campaign in the Fall/Winter highlighting the Hawaiian Islands, utilizing email placement, banner displays and logo placement on their website.
The campaign included the screening of a Mālama Hawai‘i video in WestJet’s executive lounge at Calgary International Airport (YYC) as well as on the airline’s Hawai‘i-bound flights.
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Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania organized a round table gathering in Auckland in December for key travel industry and diplomatic partners with an aim of preparing for 2022. The event was an opportunity to reconnect and begin focusing on opportunities ahead as New Zealand looks to reopen international tourism in Q1 of this year. Guests at the gathering included the United States Consul General Sarah Nelson, as well as representatives from Hawaiian Airlines, Air New Zealand, and retail chain partners. |
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Hawai‘i Tourism Korea (HTK) recently carried out a Mālama Hawai‘i-themed advertorial campaign aimed at increasing Mālama Hawai‘i brand awareness and educating future travelers. Selected publications for the campaign included three fashion and lifestyle magazines, Vogue, Elle, and Cosmopolitan; a travel magazine, National Geographic Traveler; and six local travel trade publications. To help consumers understand the meaning of Mālama Hawai‘i, the advertorials introduced four program themes — aquaculture, reforestation, habitat stewardship and sustainable farming. Utilizing multimedia assets provided by HTA, the campaign generated over $200,000 in PR value.
Continuing its campaign focusing on responsible tourism and Mālama Hawaiʻi education, HTK also conducted a social media quiz, via Privia in partnership with Tidesquare, touching on respect for Hawaiian culture, care for the local community and protecting natural resources.
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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 [ō] 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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