Posted on: Thursday, October 11, 2001

The September 11th attack
Hawai'i making tourism appeal on Mainland

By Susan Hooper
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i tourism officials are on their first trip to the Mainland since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with the aim of building up the state's flagging visitor industry by speaking to travel writers and other media.

The trip is part of the Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau's integrated marketing plan to bring back tourism, which has suffered a dramatic drop in business since the attacks.

Marsha Weinert of the Maui Visitors Bureau, Sue Kanoho of the Kaua'i Visitors Bureau, Les Enderton of the Oahu Visitors Bureau and George Applegate of the Big Island Visitors Bureau are representing the state on the Mainland trip, according to David McNeil, a spokesman for the bureau.

The group is visiting travel writers and local media in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland this week, he said. The four will split up next week and visit media in other cities further inland.

"They're letting people know that it's OK to travel to Hawai'i, that a lot of people are resuming travel to Hawai'i, and that it's still relatively easy to get here, because about 90 percent of the airline service in effect before Sept. 11 is in effect today," McNeil said.

Bureau officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Gov. Ben Cayetano and Tony Vericella, the bureau's chief executive officer, are in Japan this week with other tourism officials, trying to encourage Japanese travelers to visit the Islands.