Tourism authority director brings administrative skills
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
This summer the Hawai'i Tourism Authority selected Rex Johnson as its executive director to lead it through a crucial time as it oversees $56 million in tourism marketing money and works to recover from heavy criticism in a recent state auditor's report.
Some in the industry say the choice is judicious and that Johnson can help the authority rebuild credibility with the Legislature and the governor. Others question whether Johnson, someone who has never worked in tourism before, has the necessary expertise.
In a recent interview, Johnson addressed some of those questions and talked about some of the challenges he and the tourism authority face in the year ahead. Following are excerpts from the interview:
Q. What have you heard from people in the tourism industry you have spoken to so far?
A. One thing that comes clear to me with everybody I've talked to is how important this business is to our community and how much we need to support this business in our community. And so that's a message that I think everybody agrees on.
Q. What qualities do you think you bring to the job?
A. I would hope to categorize myself as somebody that is a fairly good listener, a fairly good constituency builder, someone that has a great deal of experience in government and in the legislative process.
Q. Do you think your Department of Transportation experience is valuable for this job?
A. Yes. ... because I know a little bit about airports, and air transportation, and I also know a little bit about surface transportation, and I also know a little bit about ocean transportation. So yeah, I think I know some of the people in those industries.
Q. How does your other experience prepare you for the job?
A. I believe that I have the administrative skills to suit the side of the tourism industry where the tourism industry needs help.
Q. What would you say in response to people who say you don't have enough experience in the tourism industry?
A. I think my board has plenty of experience, as well as does the staff here in the tourism business itself.
Q. People have said your salary is high for the job that you're doing — what would you say in response?
A. Well, there's no question it's a lot of money. I don't dispute that at all. The board has made very clear to me that their expectations are very high. And I have, in turn, promised the board that I will give to them every strength that I have in my arsenal to move in the direction that they want to head.
Q. What is that direction?
A. That's what we're all going to be figuring out.
Q. What is the status of the decision on who will market the convention center?
A. Well, SMG, the current managers of the convention center, are in the throes of preparing a marketing/management plan. ... We'll take a look-see at it, see if it's something that makes tons and tons of sense or whatever it is, and we'll go from there. Hopefully it'll be a great plan.
HVCB currently is the marketer of the convention center until, I think, until June 30. Then we'll open it back up. But we still have that law in place that says if you're going to market the convention center, you've got to manage it and vice versa. Unless the law changes, which I don't expect it will, the person that manages the convention center is going to have to market the convention center.
Q. What about the state auditor's complaints about HTA's accountability? What's your approach there?
A. Our approach is going to be to do everything we possibly can to work on the comments the state auditor made.
Q. Are you optimistic about answering the state auditor's concerns?
A. Yeah, I am. I think we can do a bit better job and answer the concerns that were brought up. ... I think a lot has been done since that first came out.
Q. Have you talked to Outrigger Enterprises about their Lewers Street project? What do you think about the project?
A. I've talked to them a little bit about it. I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I think any time private sector dollars will go into the revitalization of our Waikiki tourism business, it's super-duper. I'll stand up and thank them very much. It's something that's really needed, and I think it'll be a great asset to the Waikiki tourism industry.
Q. What do you think the chances are that Outrigger will get the permits needed?
A. I think it has a very good chance. This economy needs it very badly. I assume that they will go through the requisite traffic and environmental studies to mitigate those problems as best they can.
Q. What new areas do you think HTA needs to focus on?
A. On O'ahu our visitor plant is Waikiki and we need to keep up with that. We need reinvestment in Waikiki, to me that's why this Lewers project is so important. It's an aging tourism plant. We need to keep up with all those issues, and airports fit right in there too ...
All those pieces of infrastructure — airports and highways and even harbors — are real important and issues that the HTA should be involved in and should, from at least a tourism aspect, come to the table with the lead agencies and should discuss those issues and try to help find solutions.
Q. Has HTA been involved in discussion on those issues in the past?
A. I think we've had a presence in those types of things, and I think we need to continue to have a presence. You hear the niche markets, the Honolulu Marathon guys, the bed and breakfast guys, the guys that want to go hiking, the guys that really understand the business, they know what the issues are ...
What are the big-issue items that I think HTA needs to be involved in? Carrying capacity issues are big-time items for us, infrastructure issues, local flavor and culture — being the host, we've got to have something that differentiates us from every other destination. And for years and years and years it's been aloha and the aloha spirit and I think that's the type of thing people are looking for. And that's investing in infrastructure. It's investing in our people, I guess is what you would call it.
Administration and partnership building — with not only our community, but our Legislature, with the tourism industry, and the rest of government.
