Hawai'i-based travel trade publication eTurboNews has formed an organization called the Hawaii Tourism Association to help promote the Islands — especially in some markets not currently targeted, such as the Middle East.

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz, publisher and co-founder of eTN, said he's found there are at least 15,000 active members of the travel trade interested in issues pertaining to Hawai'i as a tourism destination. And he sees the current tourism slump as a good opportunity to expand.

Steinmetz said he's found key markets interested in doing business with Hawai'i tourism.

"The Middle East is a fantastic new market, considering that Emirates Airlines now offers nonstop flights to many U.S. gateways, including Los Angeles, San Francisco," he said.

"Arabs have the money and the time to travel and they usually travel in large groups," Steinmetz said. If Hawai'i tourism folks learn to cater to very specific needs, he said he sees "enormous potential."

After visiting the area this year, Steinmetz found "no one really went out to this region."

He said the association plans a task force to ready Hawai'i for this market by identifying needs that include food requirements and basic cultural education. The bulk of Hawai'i's tourists come from California and Japan, destinations that require less travel time than those in the Middle East. Generally the state's tourism industry have concentrated on closer markets that require less travel time and costs.

"Other destinations that we have identified that are very much interested in Hawai'i are the new European Union countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria," Steinmetz said. He also has heard interest from Russia, India, South Africa, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia.

According to Steinmetz, an eTN survey garnered huge interest from India's travel trade. "Kuoni, one of the world's largest tour operators had tried for two years to put a specialty brochure and program for Hawai'i together," he said.

He hopes to build on the global online network he has established in recent years with the new association without charging anyone to join.

"We have strategic alliance with not only destinations, but organizations and events that Hawaii Tourism Association will be able to tap," Steinmetz said. "The goal is to create a dynamic forum whereby travel professionals from around the globe talk about Hawaii. "

Steinmetz said Hawaii Tourism Association will offer the main film award stage for free for two hours to showcase Hawai'i as a destination at ITB Berlin, which is the world's largest travel exhibition for Hawai'i.

"We will take a group to Dusseldorf, which is the most important aviation gateway in Germany, as well as the Netherlands and Belgium to introduce Hawai'i to key trade in that region," he said.

"With our network and our new online discussion forum, we will be able to respond to questions, suggestions and criticism instantaneously. Our goal is to constantly identify problems and share this information instantly with tourism leaders in the state.

To learn more about Hawaii Tourism Association, visit www.hawaiitourismassociation.com.