The state welcomed about 6.91 million visitors last year, just short of the record 6.95 million who arrived in 2000, according to a state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism report released last month. DBEDT is predicting 7.14 million visitors this year.

HTA marketing director Frank Haas noted that this is the first time since the early 1990s that demand is strong from both the domestic and international markets, but noted the limited hotel capacity will mean a continued rise in rates.

"We just have to attract the kind of people that want to pay those rates and that's a different marketing issue than it was in the past," Haas said. "It's all about targeting now. It's all about who we're talking to rather than more and more people."

Common key areas targeted by HTA's marketing contractors include the romance market, golf and other sports, and culture.

The number of visitors from South Korea is expected to increase because of the introduction of a shorter, five-day workweek. In addition, China Airlines is increasing its number of nonstop flights from Taipei, Taiwan, to Honolulu, said Masaki Sakamoto, executive director of Hawaii Tourism Asia. However, strict visa controls for residents of some Asian countries continue to make travel to the United States difficult, Sakamoto said.

Hawaii Tourism Europe and Hawaii Tourism Oceania representatives noted strong economies in Europe, Australia and New Zealand as well as favorable exchange rates should encourage travel to the United States.

The Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, which markets Hawai'i in North America, will continue to highlight the state's beauty, diversity of experiences and spirit of aloha, said Jay Talwar, HVCB's vice president of marketing. He said the agency is also pursuing opportunities for national television exposure like that of last year's "American Idol" and is working with various film studios.