Tourism delegates postpone Asia trip

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

The committee urging Asians to visit Hawai'i despite global terrorism fears and the war with Iraq is postponing any promotional trip to Asia for fear its members would be exposed to SARS, its chairwoman said yesterday.

Rep. Sylvia Luke, D-26th (Punchbowl, Pacific Heights, Nu'uanu Valley), chairwoman of the House Select Subcommittee on War Preparedness, said "the timing has been complicated by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in China and some concern whether this delegation, if need be, would go to other Asian countries as well as Japan."

Luke said: "because these (delegation members) are probably high-ranking officials, the governor, the mayors and leading business people, we didn't want to put them at risk."

A trip to just Japan has been complicated by the SARS question at this time, she said, "but that is still a good idea."

She said the SARS issue was raised by a committee member at a meeting with Gov. Linda Lingle a few weeks ago.

Lingle could not be reached yesterday, but has indicated she wants to wait until Japan tourism and government officials, among others, indicate the timing is right before committing to such a promotional trip.

Tony Vericella, head of the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, said yesterday the timing of the original idea of going to Japan is up in the air for many other reasons.

Those include suggestions by Japanese industry officials that a trip still might not be worthwhile as the Iraqi situation enters a new phase, he said, adding that the Japan economy is struggling and the situation with North Korea remains uncertain. The SARS outbreak "layered another cloud of uncertainty on the people of Asia," he said.

Vericella said other promotion of Japanese summer tourism in Hawai'i continues, and that a trip to Japan may eventually emerge as a worthwhile effort.

Trips to other Asian countries weren't contemplated in the preparedness committee's original recommendation, he said.

If a delegation is asked to visit countries where SARS has been a problem, he said, the choice should be up to individual members.

"Our own government, and many businesses, are recommending against travel to many of those areas at this time," he said.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.