He lawaiʻa no ke kai papaʻu, he pōkole ke aho;

he lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu, he loa ke aho. 

A fisherman of the shallow sea uses only a short line;

a fisherman of the deep sea has a long line.

Today, our Hawai‘i Tourism Authority team is closing out Spring Tourism Week with Tourism Day at the Capitol – 9:00 a.m. to noon. The public is welcomed to join us on the fourth floor of the Hawai‘i State Capitol and meet members of our team, industry partners, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and more. Read below to learn more. 

We kicked the week off with a special edition of Talk Story with McKenna Maduli on Hawaiʻi News Now, talking about Maui’s resilience and recovery, including HTA’s Mākaukau Maui campaign. Guests on the show were Kawika Freitas from Old Lahaina Lūʻau, Captain Riley Coon from Trilogy Excursions, former hotel executive Kai Pelayo, HTA Board Chair Mufi Hannemann and Vice Chair Mahina Paishon, and Senate Tourism Chair Lynn DeCoite – along with musical guest Kaulike Pescaia. 

On Monday and Tuesday, the HTA staff met with our global marketing teams, local stewardship team, the teams from each of our islands’ visitors bureaus, and the other partners who advance our collective work. 

Tuesday night, our Board Chair Hannemann, interim President & CEO Daniel Nāhoʻopiʻi, and Tyler Iokepa Gomes from Kilohana joined Gina Mangieri on KHON for Empowered: Mālama Hawaiʻi, The Future of Tourism. They covered the work underway now to advance destination stewardship, destination management, and continue to ensure tourism’s positive contributions to our islands. 

On Wednesday, we held our HTA Spring Tourism Update live from the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, with participation across Hawaiʻi and internationally via Zoom and streamed on HTA and ʻŌlelo’s digital platforms. Our team provided insights into their ongoing efforts to stimulate meaningful travel demand while emphasizing the importance for visitors to mālama our people, places, and culture. We also discussed our continued work to advance community-desired destination management practices and improve the balance between tourism's impacts and its economic benefits. The recording of our Spring Tourism Update, along with slides and additional questions and answers we didn’t get to live, will be posted to our website soon. 

HTA remains committed to prioritizing the well-being of our home and ensuring that tourism enhances the lives of our residents while preserving our diverse cultures and environment. Mahalo to everyone for engaging with us during Spring Tourism Week! 

Mālama Maui Hikina Trio of Community Organizations Implementing East Maui Tourism Management Pilot Program 

HTA and the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau (MVCB) are partnering with three community-based organizations — Hōlani Hāna, Ke Ao Hāli‘i, and Na Mahi‘ai o Ke‘anae — to manage and implement the East Maui Tourism Management Pilot Program (EMTMPP). The mission of the EMTMPP is to uplift community-based solutions advancing the resident-created Maui Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP). The three organizations, with support from HTA, are collaborating under the banner of Mālama Maui Hikina — which translates as “caring for East Maui” — to support HTA’s larger Mālama Hawai‘i mission. 

The Mālama Maui Hikina partners are responsible for working to restore balance in the following East Maui sites: 

• Hōlani Hāna – Honolewa (a.k.a. South Wailua Falls) 
• Ke Ao Hāli‘i – Kaihalulu (a.k.a. Red Sand Beach) and Waioka (a.k.a. Venus Pools) 
• Native Hawaiian Philanthropy d.b.a. Na Mahi‘ai o Ke‘anae – Nā‘ili‘ilihaele Stream (a.k.a. Bamboo Forest) and Waikamoi Falls 

HTA is funding Mālama Maui Hikina’s community-driven approach to destination management guided by its Maui DMAP. HTA and MVCB also organized the East Maui-resident comprised East Maui Advisory Group, which provided important input. 

Our team is proud to work with these respected organizations to implement community-driven solutions aimed at improving the well-being of the community through our Mālama Hawai‘i efforts. 

This collaborative effort was made possible with the support of the East Maui Advisory Group, County of Maui, Maui Police Department, Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, State Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife, State Department of Transportation, Mahi Pono and Alexander & Baldwin. 

2024 Prince Kūhiō Parade Celebrates Legacy of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole 

The 2024 Prince Kūhiō Parade, organized by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024. This event holds special significance as it commemorates the enduring legacy of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, a pivotal figure in Hawaiʻi's history. 

Prince Kūhiō, often referred to as Ke Aliʻi Makaʻāinana (the citizen prince), was a champion of Hawaiian rights. During his lifetime, Kūhiō reestablished the Royal Order of Kamehameha I in 1903, established the Hawaiian Civic Club in 1918 and ensured the signing of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) in 1921. His dedication to his people's welfare and the preservation of Hawaiian culture continues to serve as a source of inspiration to further his legacy. 

We take pride in supporting this event through our Signature Events Program to reinvest in Hawai‘i’s people, places, and multicultural traditions. The parade will begin at Kapolei Hale and proceed along Kapolei Parkway to the Ka Makana Aliʻi Shopping Center. 

Learn more about the event here. 

HTA-Supported Events in March

Every Monday in March: E Kanikapila Kākou (Kauaʻi)

3/8-3/10: Honolulu Festival (Oʻahu)

3/12: The Eddie (Oʻahu)

3/16: Prince Kūhiō Parade (Oʻahu)

3/23: Molokaʻi Prince Kūhiō (Molokaʻi)

Thru 3/31: Building Pilina to ʻĀina through Mālama Workshops (Hawaiʻi Island)

Join us for Tourism Day at the Capitol on March 8  

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority invites the public to learn more about Hawaiʻi's visitor industry from 9:00 a.m. to noon today during the 7th Annual Tourism Day at the Capitol. We are proud to host Tourism Day in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Lodging & Tourism Association, Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, and Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. 

Our team will be sharing information on the progress being made to advance our regenerative tourism mission, the latest destination stewardship and community initiatives occurring on each island, market insights from our Global Marketing Team covering the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, China and Oceania, and more. 

Please note that Capitol security measures are in place to ensure the safety of all attendees. This includes the use of walkthrough metal detectors and X-ray machines for bags, and a photo ID is required for entry into the building. 

HTA Partners with ClimbHI for Student Education Program Spotlighting Hawai‘i Visitor Industry Careers 

Continuing its efforts to support the development of Hawai‘i’s workforce now and for generations to come, HTA is partnering with ClimbHI to develop an effective educational program inspiring Hawai‘i high school and college students to strongly consider the diversity of career opportunities in the state’s visitor industry. Programs created by ClimbHI will also aim to provide interested students all the resources and assistance they need to pursue and achieve success should they choose careers in the visitor industry. 

ClimbHI’s immediate task will be developing and conducting its career educational program and then hosting daylong visitor-industry career events on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island, Moloka‘i, Kaua‘i and Lāna‘i for interested students. These events will include leadership training for students, a career fair with statewide and island-specific visitor industry businesses and organizations, and opportunities for the students’ instructors to network with industry executives to learn more about the industry’s multiple career sectors. Students attending the events will also be offered opportunities to do site visits of participating industry businesses, including hotels, activity companies, attractions, airlines and restaurants. 

In developing its program and career events, ClimbHI will work and partner with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Education’s high schools, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Shidler College of Business School of Travel Industry Management, University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu, University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges, Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association, Airlines for America, Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation, and other Hawai‘i universities. 

HTJ Supports Student Environmental Summit in Sapporo and Delivers Opening Message 

Hawai‘i Tourism Japan (HTJ) proudly supported the High School Environmental Summit 2024, co-hosted by the Japan-America Society of Hawai'i and Clark Memorial International High School on January 16 in Sapporo. The event brought together 30 students: 10 each from Hawai'i high schools, Hokkaido public and private high schools, and CLARK Memorial International High School. Working in English-language groups, the students discussed and presented their ideas on preserving the current global environment for future generations. HTJ delivered an opening message at the summit and plans to participate in the program's final day when students from Japan visit Honolulu in April. 

HTO Offers Support to Annual Duke’s Day Festival in Sydney

Hawai'i Tourism Oceania (HTO) was a proud supporter of the Duke’s Day festival at Freshwater Beach in Sydney, January 11 to 13. Duke’s Day is an annual celebration dedicated to the legacy of legendary Hawai‘i waterman, Olympic gold medalist and pioneer of modern surfing Duke Kahanamoku who also popularized surfing in Australia. The three-day festival paying homage to Kahanamoku’s pioneering spirit and love for the ocean featured story sessions, beach clean-ups and screenings of the Duke documentary, “Waterman.” A highlight of this year’s festival was the participation of Hawai‘i theater actor Moses Goods, a prominent figure in the award-winning “Waterman” film, who enriched the event with his insights and expertise. Duke’s Day 2024 was organized by co-founders Naomi Wilson, Naomi Donohue and Dave Thomas, and supported by Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club and Freshwater Boardriders.

HTK Hosts Successful Maui Media Visit for Leading Korean Newspaper

Hawai‘i Tourism Korea (HTK) organized a media visit to Hawai‘i in December, hosting a journalist from prominent Korea daily newspaper Hankook Ilbo. The visit spotlighted Mālama Hawai‘i activities, included an interview with HTA Interim President and CEO Daniel Nāhoʻopiʻi, and resulted in the publication of three articles on January 20. Two of the invited journalist’s articles focused on Maui, featuring residents encouraging tourists to visit the island during its post-fire recovery, sharing the impact of climate change on the Maui wildfires, and telling the story of Keālia Pond turning pink. The journalist’s third article featured an extensive interview with Nāhoʻopiʻi discussing the Mālama Hawai‘i campaign and voluntourism efforts aimed at rebuilding resident lives on Maui while promoting responsible tourism to visitors. The interview was the first conducted by a Korean media outlet on Maui and effectively conveyed to Korean audiences the importance of traveling to Hawai‘i post wildfires. 

HTC Participates in U.S. Travel and Tourism Roadshows  

Hawai‘i Tourism China (HTC) participated in the U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou’s U.S. Travel and Tourism Roadshow, held in Shenzhen on January 9, and the U.S. Consulate General Shenyang’s U.S. Travel and Tourism Roadshow on January 19. Collaborating with Dista Travel, CS Guangzhou co-hosted the Rediscover America promotional event, which spotlighted 14 U.S. destinations and industry partners — HTC, Visit California China Office, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, Lake Tahoe China Office, Visit Tri-Valley China Office, Destination DC, Kissimmee Tourism Office, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building Observatory, United Airlines, Marriott, Shop North America, Brand USA and Dista Travel. 

HTC delivered a presentation on the Hawaiian Islands emphasizing its core message of Mālama Hawaiʻi and showcased its B2C and B2B WeChat Hawaiʻi mini programs. HTC also made an announcement on the opening of Maui post wildfires, highlighting the island’s many attractions. The travel event was the first in Shenzhen and Shenyang since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. CS Guangzhou Principal Commercial Officer Mr. Edlefsen delivered the event’s opening remarks and Shenzhen Tourism Bureau Division Director welcomed attendees. More than 400 individuals from the Shenzhen and Shenyang travel industries registered for the event, with presentations and exhibition booths receiving a warm reception from attendees. 

Read more stories about our work to advance a regenerative tourism future at holomua.hawaiitourismauthority.org.