Tourism board drafts plan in case of war
| • | Airlines put sale sign on Hawai'i |
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
The state plans to halt all of its tourism advertising for a month in the event of a war and may consider canceling or postponing major festivals or events, according to a draft of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority's war contingency plan.
Staff of the authority has sent copies to legislators that include plans for everything from a crisis communication center to evacuating Waikiki hotels if needed.
The plan, which has not yet been approved by the tourism authority's board, is meant to minimize negative impacts on tourism during a war with Iraq and to set the stage for a recovery.
The contingency planning assumes the Japanese tourism market will be affected more sharply than others because of the Japanese travelers' higher sensitivity to international conflict. The plan calls for a "carefully timed, coordinated marketing response" to support travel agents and tour wholesalers to restore confidence in travel to Hawai'i.
The plan is also aimed at buffering the effects of a drop in tourism from the Western region of the Mainland. Marketing would be targeted there since the West was "the most responsive market following both 9/11 and the Gulf War."
The authority has also been reviewing its marketing contracts to see which ones can be canceled without penalty in the event of military action. It is also preparing materials for a crisis communications room at the convention center.
If a war with Iraq breaks out, the tourism authority would immediately cancel all advertising in the next 60 days and would send out a videotaped statement from Gov. Linda Lingle, although it was not clear from the draft plan what her message would be.
"People aren't going to travel regardless of what they see on TV," said David Carey, chief executive of Outrigger Enterprises and a tourism authority board member. But there are a few exceptions, he said.
"I think the industry's going to have to think about, 'How do we get those people who are immune to travel fear to come here?' "
The tourism authority might cancel trade shows, sporting events and festivals, according to the plan. A visit to Japan by state officials to encourage travel to Hawai'i would also be planned, although how soon a delegation should be sent is still under discussion.
The Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, which is the marketing agency for the tourism authority, plans to meet with travel agents, tour operators and travel writers to promote Hawai'i in the weeks following the start of a war.
If a war continues for some time, the tourism authority may redirect money to market Hawai'i as a tourism destination with appropriate messages.
"Most people decided they don't want to spend all their time speculating on all the scenarios. They want to spend more of their time on just being ready for taking action proactively," said Tony Vericella, president of the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau. "The idea is to stay ahead of the curve on all of this so we can be much better prepared than anybody could have been for the tragedies of 9/11."
The tourism authority is also discussing special promotional programs with airlines. The plan notes that the Value Card used to provide an incentive to travel after Sept. 11 had a limited impact.
The tourism authority has also been seeking access to a reserve fund that it could use in the event of a war. The Legislature is considering an appropriation of as much as $8 million in emergency money that the tourism authority could tap.
"The right thing to do is put a contingency fund in place so when we need it we're ready to rock and roll," Carey said. "If you look at the Gulf War, it would have been better in hindsight to have a rainy-day fund."
Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470 or kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.
