Tourism summit mixes ideas, blame

By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer

About 40 tourism executives and state officials took their ideas and complaints about the state and the future of the visitor industry to Gov. Linda Lingle during a tourism summit yesterday.

The more than two-hour, closed-door discussion ranged from how the state's tourism marketing should be financed to the need to increase the number of flights to Hawai'i.

"There are experts here who feel it's a great time for us to be out aggressively appealing to airlines," Lingle said.

The meeting of hotel executives, visitors bureau and business association leaders, legislative leaders and others was the first in a series of discussions with the governor. The group plans to form committees on tourism financing, increasing flights, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority's strategic plan and performance measures for state tourism spending. The committees will hold public meetings at dates yet to be determined, Lingle said.

Out of the meetings, participants hope, will come better coordination between public and private industry efforts to lure more visitors to the Islands and ensure the main engine of the state's economy runs efficiently.

Part of yesterday's discussion centered on holding the state accountable for tourism dollars spent by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, which decides how to spend nearly $60 million of state tourism marketing money. Some participants took the occasion to air grievances against the tourism authority and the resources it spends on addressing criticisms leveled against it by lawmakers and the state auditor.

Lingle said she was criticized by tourism authority officials for requesting a personnel change at the authority. "The HTA obviously feels, and others in the industry feel, they need to have more autonomy," Lingle said.

The group also discussed who should sit on the board of the tourism authority. "Generally, the industry favors putting industry people on the board," Lingle said. "Personally, I support the industry view of having industry people on there."

The Senate Tourism Committee this week recommended approval of the governor's nominee to the tourism authority board, Kyoko Kimura, president and general manager of Diamond Resort in Wailea, Maui.

The nomination next goes to the full Senate for approval.

Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at kyamanouchi@honolulu advertiser.com or 535-2470.