Agencies outline push for tourism expansion
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i tourism promoters are launching an array of approaches to bring more visitors to the state, ranging from featuring Hawaiian music at concerts on the Mainland to promoting the Islands' famous golf courses.
The Hawai'i Tourism Authority's new team of marketing agencies presented their plans to visitor industry leaders and the public yesterday. This is the first year in which the state tourism authority is using five marketing agencies to draw vacationers to Hawai'i, with each agency working in a different part of the world.
The Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau had been the state's leisure marketing firm around the world up until this year. Now, the bureau promotes Hawai'i to the state's largest tourist market, North America, as well as marketing to planners of corporate meetings.
Joining the HVCB as tourism marketing contractors are Dentsu for Japan, Marketing Garden for the rest of Asia, The Walshe Group for Oceania and The Mangum Group in Europe. Each group showed what it is doing to draw more visitors to Hawai'i. Philadelphia-based SMG, which promotes the convention center, also discussed its progress.
The tourism authority has an annual budget of about $61 million, most of which is divided among the contractors.
One of the ways in which Hawai'i is getting publicity is from the current rage over "American Idol," which held auditions here last year. HVCB and its public relations team said they spent about $23,000 to support bringing the auditions to Hawai'i.
Another big push that HVCB plans to make is to feature Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom & Willie K and other local artists in concerts this year around North America, including venues in San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; New York; Chicago; and Vancouver.
Meanwhile, Hawai'i Tourism Asia, with its goal of drawing tourists from Korea, China and Taiwan, said travel from Asia is on a path of rapid growth, though travelers' getting visas remains one of the largest barriers. As with the state's other tourism marketers around the world, one focus is trying to attract high-spending golfers to Hawai'i for their vacations.
Hawai'i Tourism Europe developed a partnership with Dole to put Hawai'i-themed tags on pineapples and bananas.
Hawai'i Tourism Oceania is benefiting from a planned increase in flights from Australia by Hawaiian Airlines.
"There's a lot going on in all the international markets," said Frank Haas, the tourism authority's marketing director.
Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470, or at kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.
