Festivals help lure visitors to state

By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer

A Japanese taiko dancer performed during the Honolulu Festival this past weekend in Waikiki. The four-day festival, which brought in an estimated 4,600 visitors, is one of a dozen or so large cultural events that help draw tourists to Hawai'i. Associated Press

Overall, 12 major festivals last year drew 1.5 million visitors and residents, according to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

The HTA does not break out how many of those visitors came from outside the Islands. And it's not known how many would have visited Hawai'i regardless of a festival.

Still, the effect of certain individual events is clear. By itself, the Honolulu Festival brought in an estimated $4.4 million in spending, mainly from Japanese visitors, based on the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's calculations.

The estimate does not take into account festival visitors who may have stayed longer. An additional $2.5 million was spent to put on the event, which largely showcases Japanese culture.

The amount may seem low compared with the estimated $23.84 million generated by the NFL Pro Bowl in February. And, the Honolulu Marathon brought in $62.2 million in December, according to DBEDT.

However, the Honolulu Festival is only one of a dozen or so large cultural events that help draw tourists to Hawai'i's shores. Some people would like to see similar high-profile events, especially given the state's diverse population of Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino and other ethnic groups.

"That would be great, but the cost of these events is incredible," said Nelson Fujio, parade organizer for several festivals, including the Honolulu Festival.

The HTA contributes $150,000 to the Honolulu Festival with the rest of the event's money coming from sponsors such as tour company JTB Hawaii Inc. Such backing is crucial because sponsors market the events overseas, Fujio said.

Organizers characterized the Honolulu Festival's turnout as strong, despite the Japanese economy's sluggishness and the threat of war with Iraq.

"Where we might have had some prefectures send 300 people in the past, this year they sent 100 people," Fujio said. "You don't have to be a genius to figure out that that gives people second thoughts about coming."

According to a 2001 state visitors survey, 5.7 percent of 1.5 million Japanese visitors came to Hawai'i for festivals, among other reasons.

Other major Hawai'i festivals include the:

• Three-day Pan-Pacific Festival in June, which regularly brings in an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 visitors.
• Maui Writers Conference and Retreat in late August that attracts about 1,200 people, with two-thirds of them coming from out-of-state, according to event organizers.
• Korean Centennial Celebration in January that drew about 100 people representing five dance groups from South Korea.

Measuring the economic effect of various events involves a set of assumptions. In the case of the Honolulu Festival, organizers said the four-day event brought in 4,600 visitors. Based on the state estimate of $240 in daily spending by Japanese visitors, the event pumped more than $4 million into the economy.

Leon Yoshida, executive director of the Honolulu Festival Foundation, said that figure is conservative and other estimates have been as high $50 million.

Yoshida said the festival's board of directors is discussing using the festival as a forum for other cultures in addition to that of Japan's.

"We want to bring people in from throughout the Pacific Rim, so we have a lot more money coming into the economy from outside," he said.

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8093.