Posted at 11:27 a.m., Tuesday, April 29, 2003
13 bid for tourism marketing contracts
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau has been the state's primary tourism marketing contractor for years. This is the first time the tourism authority has offered the option of bidding for separate regions for leisure marketing, for contracts starting in 2004 and lasting at least four years.
In addition to two bids for the entire marketing contact, the authority also received one proposal for marketing to North America, six for Japan, two for Europe, two for "other Asia," one for Oceania and one for corporate meetings and incentives. Some organizations bid for more than one market area. The authority would not disclose who bid on the contracts.
The tourism authority aims to select a "short list" of finalists by Friday, but authority officials said it may take longer.
Separately, authority marketing director Frank Haas said the tentative dates are July 6 to 12 for a trip to Japan led by Gov. Linda Lingle aimed at encouraging Japanese travel to Hawai'i. Participants would include representatives from the tourism authority, the visitors bureau, the counties and the tourism industry, in a delegation that would likely visit Tokyo and other cities, Haas said.
