Group to promote Hawai'i in China
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
A state delegation arrives in China today for a five-day business and tourism development tour that includes a Hawaiian music and culture festival in Shanghai.
The Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism will lead the trip that runs through Thursday and includes meetings with government ministers and business executives in Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin.
Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, will travel with the delegation for part of the trip to lead a series of meetings with Chinese officials, including the ministers of tourism development and environmental protection, officials in charge of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and officials from the China National Tourism Administration.
His meetings will coincide with a weeklong Hawai'i festival at a new cultural entertainment center in Shanghai called Xintiandi. The "Hawaii Experience at Xintiandi" starts today and runs through July 31.
It will showcase Hawai'i products and services and will feature live performances by local entertainers, including Na Leo Pilimehana, Kapena, and Halau Hula Olana.
"We're using music and culture as the wedge to get in and create some excitement, draw attention to Hawai'i products," said Richard Bahar, DBEDT's Business Development Manager. "The objective is getting Hawai'i firms into an economy they might not be familiar with."
The overall cost of the trip is estimated at $175,000, with $141,500 coming from private sector sponsorships and contributions, according to Gov. Linda Lingle's office.
The cost to the state will be about $32,000, which excludes some pending travel and lodging costs. Fifty-five people including 24 entertainers, seven state officials and 24 members of the business community, are going on the trip.
Many of the meetings between Aiona and the Chinese government officials were set up with the help of Bo Wu, DBEDT's China director who has worked out of the old Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau office in central Beijing for the past three years.
Wu has been working with the Chinese government to get DBEDT's Beijing office officially sanctioned to do business in China.
On June 11, Nevada became the only U.S. state licensed to do business in China.
"Nevada has been very successful," said Marsha Wienert, Lingle's tourism liaison.
"They have persevered ... That's a good thing for them ... We're following in their footsteps."
Wu, speaking from his office in Beijing earlier this month, said, "In China, every industry is regulated by the government. You want to do something, you need to get approval. We are waiting for final government approval (for the state office), which should come during the first week of August. Right now, we're right at the door."
If approval is granted, DBEDT would use the office to help market tourism in China as well as work toward loosening China's leisure travel restrictions to allow Chinese to visit Hawai'i for leisure.
As it stands, Chinese can only visit the United States on business, educational, or diplomatic visas.
DBEDT's office would also house representatives from the University of Hawai'i who would market Hawai'i tourism and destination management know-how. Also, Hawai'i environmental companies would use the office to market their expertise in China.
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Advertiser Staff Writers Sean Hao and Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
