HVCB, a private agency hired by the state to market Hawai'i to North America, will run national advertisements and commercials for the next three months that direct people to its "Ultimate Hawaii Dream Vacation" Web site.

The site has an interactive itinerary feature that allows users to plan their vacations by choosing from more than 180 activities and adventures on six Hawaiian islands.

"It's not about coming just to sit on the beach," said Jay Talwar, HVCB's vice president of marketing. "It's (for) someone who's a traveler more than a tourist."

Activities include: kayaking at Huleia National Wildlife Refuge on Kaua'i, riding mules on Moloka'i, searching for hidden treasures along Lana'i's Shipwreck Beach, dining in a five-star restaurant on Maui, taking a surf lesson in Waikiki and swimming with manta rays off the Big Island.

Itineraries can be entered into an online sweepstakes with a dream vacation to Hawai'i as the top prize.

"The reason we're doing this isn't just to give away trips," Talwar said. "It's a way to talk about the diversity of Hawai'i and the unique activities, attractions and things in Hawaii. It's really a strategy that spawned this promotion."

John Monahan, the visitors bureau's president and chief executive, said the Hawai'i Tourism Authority's direction was to attract "higher-spending, activity-oriented travelers" during the fall.

HVCB has spent about $1 million on TV commercials on various cable channels, including the Travel Channel and the Food Network. About $200,000 was used to advertise online at discovery.com, forbes.com, wsj.com and yahoo.com.

About $100,000 was spent at the Wall Street Journal, the only newspaper selected by the visitors bureau to run its print ads.

The bureau has also tapped former American Idol contestant Jasmine Trias to promote her home state on talk shows on Aug. 26.

The campaign comes during a record year for visitor arrivals to Hawai'i.

Hawai'i welcomed a record 3.6 million visitors in the first half of the year, 7 percent more than the first six months of 2004, officials said.

Tourism officials said they are using a proactive approach in marketing the islands and showcasing all the activities, despite Hawai'i's current success in an increasingly competitive global tourism market.

"Everyone is going after the same visitor," said David McNeil, a spokesman for the bureau. "I don't think you can really afford to take your foot off the petal."