The September 11th attack
Governor tourism pitch in Japan still scheduled
By David Butts
Advertiser Staff Writer
Despite the U.S. retaliatory strike against Afghanistan targets, Gov. Ben Cayetano left today on a weeklong publicity mission to Japan, hoping he can persuade frightened potential tourists to overcome their reluctance to travel to the Islands.
"The delegation I am leading to Japan will proceed on to meet with government officials," the governor said in a statement. "In light of what is the first military action (in Afghanistan), we must continue our efforts to revive our economy to provide some stability for the people of our state."
Japanese arrivals in Hawai'i have been cut in half since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, robbing the state of about $4 million a day in spending, contributing to thousands of layoffs in the tourism industry, and helping fuel the shockwaves shuddering through the economy.
"We want the Japanese people to see our presence," Cayetano said in an interview Friday. "We want to go and make sure the leaders understand that 'We're open. You are welcome to come back, to come to Hawai'i.'"
The trip will cost taxpayers $200,000, but its impact will be difficult to measure. Its success and the effectiveness of a $1 million follow-up advertising campaign will depend in large part on an accurate reading of what is keeping away Japanese tourists, who last year came in record numbers of nearly 2 million, and whether those obstacles can be overcome.
The shutdown of all flights in the United States for a few days after the attacks had a tremendous impact on many Japanese, who now fear they may be stranded if they happen to be in Hawai'i when the anti-terrorist campaign escalates or other attacks occur. Some Japanese also may feel it would be insensitive to be frolicking on a beach when Americans are grieving.
Others note that the Japanese preference for group tours and their ethos of accepting responsibility when things go wrong have combined to create another barrier: Tour organizers fear they would have to take responsibility, even resign from their companies, if their group is hurt or stuck while overseas.
Meanwhile, the economy in Japan poses another hurdle. It has been in sad shape for more than a decade and was turning worse even before Sept. 11. Now it is almost certainly in recession.
And finally there is the safety concern: People in Japan, more than many other cultures, place a high value on predictability and security and will not go overseas in a time of uncertainty.
Cayetano and his entourage — which includes two former governors, two mayors and several business leaders — will try to convey a reassuring message of welcome and aloha.
Retired sumo grand champion Chad Rowan of Waimanalo and sumo mentor Jesse Kuhaulua of Maui will appear with the delegation in Tokyo and Osaka.
The delegation will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Transportation Minister Chikage Ogi and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, the outspoken co-author of the book "The Japan That Can Say No."
Strength in aloha
And what will be the message?
"We've got to go to our strength and what has made Hawai'i No. 1 in many places as a destination ... (such as) aloha and Hawai'i being a place where you can rest, recover, refresh yourself, recuperate, heal, and stuff like that. A rejuvenation of the spirit," Cayetano said.
Nice try, but who knows?
Travel executives in Hawai'i and Japan praise the governor for taking action, but say it is impossible to predict how much impact the visit will have.
The ambassadors of aloha must overcome what Tony Vericella, chief executive of Hawai'i Visitor & Convention Bureau, calls the "air confidence issue." And it is a problem that is "more pervasive in the Japanese market than in the U.S.," he said.
"Once the worries happen, even the government says you should stay in Japan," said Katsuya Mihashi, president of Hankyu U.S.A., a Japanese tourist agency with offices in Waikiki.
The Sept. 11 hijackings, in which jetliners were flown into targeted buildings, made people of all nationalities question the safety of air travel, and it's doubtful that any advertising can easily overcome that fear.
"It's a matter of safety, security," said Masako Shimada, chairwoman of the Osaka-Hawai'i Promotion Committee and sales manager for Aloha Airlines in Western Japan. Shimada said a Japanese travel company recently ran full-page newspaper advertisements for an overseas tour and didn't get a single phone call.
Those travelers not spooked by the thought of a plane being hijacked or a second terrorist attack are worried that air service may be shut down again, leaving them stranded and forcing them to miss several days of work.
"Japanese people make such short vacation trips and many go back to the office the next day," said Shimada. It's common for Japanese employees to not use their vacation time because their absence from work would increase the burden on co-workers.
Former Gov. George Ariyoshi, who was in Japan last week setting up Cayetano's trip, said several business people told him the fear of being stranded cannot be underestimated. He also heard the concerns of tour organizers who worry that they may have to take responsibility for any problems that arise while traveling.
"I think that the mentality of the Japanese is they take responsibility," said Ariyoshi. "The president of the company will resign when something happens."
Safety-related issues also need to be addressed head on, he said.
"Part of the message has to be what we have done at the airport," Ariyoshi said. "That the president is not likely to close all the airports, and how has it become more secure."
Vericella, on the other hand, says it is best to let Hawai'i's reputation as a safe destination stand for itself. "We do not say it; we do not need to," he said.
Regardless of the message, it will not be easy to erase all possible fears with an ad campaign.
"The questions about what if I get stuck and all of that — those are difficult issues," said Cayetano. "So in crafting our messages, I'll leave it to people smarter than me in terms of how to deal with it."
Generational matter
The problem of canceling trips out of respect for Americans may be more easily resolved. That issue was not cited as a reason in a survey of Japanese attitudes toward travel. The Asahi newspaper poll of 300 people listed safety as the only concern.
"Older people may have a stronger sense that it's not sensitive to come now," said Yoichi Yamamoto, a 46-year-old Tokyo resident on a four-day trip to Hawai'i. "Younger people wouldn't let it stop them."
Shimada, the Aloha Airline sales representative in Osaka, said that while the Japanese feel sympathy over the massive loss of lives, she has not heard anyone mention propriety as a reason for canceling.
Still Cayetano, Ariyoshi, Vericella and others in Hawai'i are convinced this is a key issue.
According to Ariyoshi, "The message is going to be that 'We are grateful for the concern you have about not coming to Hawai'i at a time of tragedy, but please come to Hawai'i. You can really help us by coming.'"
At least they hope to prevent any government official from making the type of gaffe that occurred during the Gulf War when Shokei Arai, a member of the ruling party, was quoted as saying Japan should ban trips to Hawai'i while U.S. troops were risking their lives.
If the Gulf War experience is any indication, the drop in tourism will not last long and will lead to a spike in visitors once the fears have diminished. Japanese travel to Hawai'i dropped by about 25 percent after the outbreak of the Gulf War in January 1991, it but was back to prewar levels four months later. Strong arrivals in the latter half of that year almost made up for the loss in the first few months.
Hawai'i has a special appeal in Japan and that is unlikely to change with the terrorist attacks: Hawai'i often tops the list of overseas destination for Japanese tourists. Last year 1.6 million came. Of those, 60 percent were repeat visitors.
Hula, ukes popular
Hawaiian culture has enjoyed something of a boom in Japan in recent years with the spread of Hawaiian-themed restaurants and stores. There are more than 1,000 hula halau in Japan and 'ukulele sales are brisk. It's hard to pick up a magazine without seeing a reference to Hawai'i.
"When I was in Japan, I thought, 'Thank God we are right next to Hawai'i. The world's best island resort is right next to us,' " said Ryokichi Tamaki, the vice president at JALPAK in Hawai'i, the second-largest Japanese tour operator in the state behind JTB.
A trip to Hawai'i is a dream come true for millions of Japanese. When the popular "Happy Family Plan" television game show asks contestants to pick a prize from a catalog of almost any world destination or consumer product, about a quarter pick a trip to Hawai'i.
Japanese tourists have accounted for about a quarter of all visitor spending in the state. That's $2.4 billion annually, or about 6 percent of the state's $39 billion gross state product.
So will Cayetano's trip and an ad campaign help revive Japanese arrivals?
"Well, I'm not sure," said Cayetano. "But what do you do? Just sit around sucking your thumbs?"
