As set forth by HTA’s Strategic Plan and O‘ahu Destination Management Action Plan, mitigating tourism impacts in hotspot areas island-wide is key to preserving O‘ahu’s natural resources and improving the experiences of residents and visitors. Out-of-state visitors can now make reservations to visit Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head) State Monument up to 30 days in advance. Online reservations for visits to Lē‘ahi are required for all individuals without a Hawai‘i State driver’s license or ID. Hawai‘i residents are offered free park access without reservations. We ask for your kōkua in sharing this update with out-of-state guests to assist in their planning.

Meet Hawai‘i, HTA President and CEO John De Fries, and industry leaders were invited by Sandra and Jerry Gibson, hosts and owners of Sea Salts of Hawai‘i, to learn more about their give-back program and partnership with the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP). The mission of PMDP is to protect the sensitive wildlife and critical habitats of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from threats of marine debris. PMDP works toward solutions for recycling and reutilization of the waste-stream.

The group was also honored to visit with artisans who showcased their creative work utilizing the recycled materials. “It was an incredible eye-opener of how much debris they recover to protect the wildlife and birdlife in the Hawaiian Islands,” said Adele Tasaka of Meet Hawai‘i. Debbie Hogan of the Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau said, “I feel the information shared will help me share with many the importance of understanding how we can all continue to protect the Islands.”

Meet Hawai‘i sponsored a focus group at the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) EduCon in New Orleans on June 7. The team hosted 11 key association and corporate meeting planners. The facilitator focused the discussion on Hawai‘i as a possible destination for their upcoming meetings and conventions. These prospective meetings ranged from board meetings of 10 to 20 attendees to conventions hosting up to 7,000 attendees. Most importantly, the planners confirmed there is a greater focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities as part of their in-destination meetings. When the Mālama Hawai‘i program was brought up, it quickly became an important topic of discussion. Insights from this exchange will help Meet Hawai‘i and its partners refine their Mālama Hawai‘i programming when bidding for both single-property and citywide business.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the World Education Conference of Meeting Planners International (MPI) hosted by the city of San Francisco from June 21 to 23. Meet Hawai‘i together with a strong industry partner group participated in a week of education on the future of meetings. The team provided planners with updates on the Hawaiian Islands and networked throughout the city, capped by the Oregon/Aloha Chapter receiving the MPI RISE Award for member achievement. The MPI RISE Awards recognize community members from across the globe, celebrating the spirit of leadership, impact and innovation.

Hawai‘i Tourism USA (HTUSA) was honored as top U.S. Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support while Hawai‘i earned accolades as Destination With the Highest Client Satisfaction, USA/Canada, at this year’s TravelAge West WAVE (Western Advisors’ Vote of Excellence) Awards.

HTUSA’s honor topped other tourism and destination marketing organizations, including the Arizona Office of Tourism, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Visit California and Visit Florida. In the competition’s Destination category, Hawai‘i finished ahead of California, Florida, Las Vegas and New York.

The awards ceremony was held on June 9 in Marina del Rey, California.

According to U.S. Travel’s Summer Trends Brief, more than one-quarter of U.S. travelers plan to spend significantly more on their travel budgets this summer compared to 2019 due to higher prices and accumulated savings. Six in 10 Americans said they planned to travel this summer — up from five in 10 last year — despite record-high gas prices. Queried in early June, six in 10 (62%) American travelers indicated travel would be a high-budget priority for them from June through August.

In collaboration with industry media group Wing Travel, Hawai‘i Tourism Japan (HTJ) conducted two online forums in June based on the theme of regenerative tourism. HTJ also invited representatives from the Canadian Tourism Commission and Palau Visitors Authority — both organizations are also working toward a regenerative tourism model enhancing community well-being — to share their initiatives during a forum panel discussion. HTJ and HTA provided information to forum participants about the Destination Management Action Plans being implemented on each of Hawai‘i’s islands and how travel agencies can take part in Mālama Ku‘u Home (“Caring for My Beloved Home”). Approximately 250 travel agents and destination management organizations participated in the forums.

For the first time in three years, Wing Travel recently published a special Hawai‘i issue of Wing Travel Weekly. The Mālama Hawaiʻi-themed issue was distributed in print and online, as well as to Wing Travel members, generating 40,000 print views monthly. Its articles focused on the Japan Summit, Hawai‘i’s pivot toward regenerative tourism, and future HTA initiatives.

HTJ endorsed 7-Eleven's Hawaiʻi Fair, which was held in 22,000 of the company’s Japan stores from June 5 through 21. The fair provided a great opportunity to increase Hawai‘i’s exposure as international travel gradually resumes. During the fair, 13 endorsed Hawaiʻi-themed menus were featured in TV commercials (with an audience reach of more than 125,731,400), online and on 7-Eleven's social networking accounts totaling more than 5.3 million followers. Hawai‘i-themed displays were also showcased within and outside 7-Eleven stores.

Baskin-Robbins, commonly known in Japan as “31” for its 31 ice cream flavors, releases new items and flavors each month. In June, HTJ endorsed four delicious Hawai‘i flavors during a special Baskin-Robbins fair at 1,800 stores throughout Japan. The new Hawai‘i-inspired flavors were introduced on Baskin-Robbins’ social networking services and website. HTJ also conducted a prize giveaway event that received more than 6,000 entries.

HTJ held its Japan Summit for the first time in three years, from June 6 to 8, on O‘ahu. Attendees included 58 travel agents from 20 Japan companies, 60 agents from Hawai‘i travel agencies, nearly 100 individuals representing 50 Hawai‘i-based stakeholder companies, and four industry media representatives. The purpose of the summit was to provide updates on current Japan market conditions, educate attendees about Mālama Hawaiʻi initiatives, and foster meeting opportunities among stakeholders and travel agents. In total, 379 B2B appointments were conducted and approximately 60 travel agents participated in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi training, Hawaiian culture workshops and Mālama Hawaiʻi experiences. The Japan Summit received positive feedback from attending agents who said they had gained ideas for future educational trips and product development.

Hawai‘i Tourism Canada (HTCAN) attended the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) conference in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, from June 22 to 26. Samantha Carreira, public relations manager for HTCAN, conducted 24 one-on-one appointments at the conference with freelance journalists, bloggers and influencers from across Canada. HTCAN’s presence at the conference was successful in generating leads for individual Hawai‘i press trips and familiarization tour participants. Canadian travel media at the conference expressed their commitment to the Hawaiian Islands and intention to continue working with HTCAN to share correct messaging focused on mindful, respectful travel.

HTCAN was recognized with the honor of Favorite Tourism Board for the Asia-Pacific region at the 2022 Baxter Travel Agents’ Choice Awards. The coveted awards were presented at The Eglinton Grand theater in Toronto on June 23, bringing together members of Canada’s travel industry to recognize top organizations in over 40 categories as voted by Canadian travel agents.

Tourism Australia was second in the Favorite Tourism Board Asia-Pacific region category, with Tahiti Tourisme finishing third. The Japan National Tourism Organization and Tourism New Zealand were fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania (HTO) Public Relations Executive Anna Riedel was on O‘ahu from June 17 through 24 with a crew from “Getaway,” a popular Australian travel show. The production filmed at multiple locations, including the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, Gunstock Ranch, CLIMB Works Keana Farms, Helena's Hawaiian Food and Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum. The O‘ahu footage will air on “Getaway” later this year with segments spread over multiple episodes.

HTO showcased the Hawaiian Islands at the 42nd Holiday and Cruise Expo in Newcastle, Australia, on June 19. Held by the Hunter Travel Group, which is part of Helloworld Travel agency, the expo drew more than 3,500 attendees, earned $2 million in single-day sales, and featured 44 exhibitors, including destinations, air carriers, cruise lines and tour companies.

On June 28, HTO attended the Spencer Travel Showcase in Sydney, an event aimed at the luxury travel market. More than 150 clients were invited to the showcase to meet with travel suppliers from across the region. Spencer Travel is part of the luxury travel network Virtuoso, which HTO has worked closely with since the start of 2022.

Resulting from a media familiarization trip it hosted this past March, HTO secured a four-page feature on Mālama Hawai‘i in Australia-based Vacations and Travel magazine, written by travel writer Julie Miller.

With a goal of introducing Made in Hawai‘i products to potential visitors from Korea and increasing awareness of the Hawaiian Islands in the region, Hawai‘i Tourism Korea (HTK) planned and executed a consumer promotion with Baskin-Robbins and e-commerce company Interpark in July. Baskin-Robbins Korea selected macadamia as its Flavor of the Month for July and introduced three food items utilizing products from Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. Customers purchasing products from the macadamia nut promotion were offered the opportunity to enter a giveaway, with the first-place winner receiving a Hawai‘i travel voucher and other entrants receiving a Hawai‘i tour discount coupon from Interpark.

In addition, HTK and Korean Air collaborated on a July customer event spotlighting Made in Hawai‘i products. HTK translated Hawai‘i shopping information on the GoHawaii website and introduced a link to the information on Korean Air’s website aimed at introducing consumers to Made in Hawai‘i products. The event page encouraged website visitors to discover multiple Hawai‘i-grown or -produced foods and food products, including chocolate, coffee, honey, and other handmade items, and offered information on Hawai‘i coffee and cacao farms. Winners of an online event received a packet of Kona-grown coffee.

In a partnership with Hawaiian Airlines, HTK conducted a multi-island familiarization (FAM) trip for Korean media from June 25 through 30. The main objective of the media trip was promoting Hawai‘i as a must-visit destination ideal for relieving COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and pursuing wellness and sustainability. Participants visited O‘ahu and Maui in collaboration with Hawaiian Airlines, which is undertaking its own responsible-travel initiative this year, the Pono Travel Campaign. The visiting FAM group was comprised of print and digital editors from Korea-based editions of Elle, Vogue and Cosmopolitan magazines.

On O‘ahu, the group’s itinerary included wellness, Mālama Hawai‘i and cultural programs at Kahala Hotel and Resort; Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina cultural and outdoor activities; Kualoa Ranch Mālama ‘Āina and horseback riding; and a visit to the Bishop Museum. On Maui, group members experienced the wellness program at Montage Kapalua Bay, Drums of the Pacific Lū‘au at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Haleakalā National Park, and enjoyed tasting Hawai‘i-made chocolate at Maui Ku‘ia Estate.

HTK welcomed Pitch by Magazine to Hawai‘i for a June 13 to 18 press trip, which has resulted in a special Hawai‘i issue of the publication set for late September. The issue will focus on Mālama Hawai‘i’s introduction of sustainable ways to travel in the Islands and feature a story on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. Content from the magazine’s stories will be utilized in HTK’s future marketing programs, educational webinars, advertorials and more.

Targeting potential travelers and general consumers in Korea interested in the Hawaiian Islands, HTK is developing a culinary brand co-op to promote Made in Hawai‘i products in partnership with SSG, Korea’s leading integrated online shopping mall owned by Shinsegae Group. HTK will develop a two-stage consumer event to include an SSG online consumer promotion and cooking class with a star chef to generate digital buzz. The program will introduce Hawai‘i-inspired food recipes and highlight Hawai‘i food products such as Ka‘ū-grown coffee, bottled Hawai‘i water and Hawaiian Host brand.

On June 23, Hawai‘i Tourism China (HTC) conducted a live webinar training for China Travel Group (CTG). The educational training was well received by the webinar’s more than 86 attendees who joined from CTG offices in Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Jiangxi Province and Hubei Province. As part of the seminar, HTC also shared updates on recent COVID-19-related travel protocols, general Hawai‘i destination information, the Mālama Hawai‘i campaign, voluntourism, Community Enrichment Programs supporting community-based festivals and activities, and more. CTG is the largest state-owned travel group in China, with nearly 3,000 branches countrywide and 60 branches in 28 countries and regions around the world.

HTC partnered with the Commercial Service of the United States Embassy in China to promote Hawai‘i as a unique and diverse U.S. travel destination to America-bound students and their parents as well as Chinese travel and tourism partners. The promotion was part of a roadshow previously postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roadshow events were rescheduled for Beijing on July 16 and Chengdu on July 23. HTC joined the roadshow alongside other U.S. destinations and air carriers, including Delta Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines.

HTC will partner with Shanghai’s Tianma Country Club to support the Tianma Member Cup Tournament in third quarter 2022. The country club has more than 1,000 prominent members in Eastern China — an affluent market targeted by Hawai‘i. With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, the outdoor tournament offers an ideal format to engage with potential Hawai‘i travelers. HTC will showcase Hawaiʻi as a premier destination of choice — as well as the state’s unique golf courses and travel resources — to Tianma’s golf members. HTC will also invite the Shanghai Hula Dance and Art Troupe and Kamaka ‘ukulele fans and artists to perform in the tournament’s award ceremony.