Encouraging more Japanese citizens to get passports for international travel and promoting overseas travel for the 20- and 30-somethings are among the strategies being considered by tourism officials to boost sagging visitor numbers from the state's largest international visitor market.

The ideas were discussed yesterday by about 170 tourism officials and business representatives who gathered at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

Takashi Ichikura, executive director of Hawaii Tourism Japan, said officials are looking for ways to stimulate travel among younger Japanese after seeing travel in that segment drop by as much as 1.4 million people in the past five years.

The state Hawai'i Tourism Authority is working with Japan marketing partners. "We know it's going to be a very tough year," said Rex Johnson, HTA president and chief executive officer.

Ichikura noted that overseas travel from Japan was down less than 1 percent across the board — a dip of 0.87 percent from January to October 2007 — despite a recovering Japanese economy.

Still, there is good news for the market. Hawai'i remains in the top spot for "preferred and desired destination" for Japanese visitors and has pulled away from the second-most desired destination — Australia.

Lance Duyao, director of retail operations for Big Island Candies, thinks Hawai'i needs to offer quality products and new things to keep attracting large numbers of Japanese tourists.

"The numbers that are coming are not as great," Duyao said. "You give them something new and they will come. You can't have the same old, same old."

His company produces quintessential omiyage — the trademark individually wrapped shortbread cookies dipped diagonally in chocolate. But they are always developing something new, he said. In the past two months, the company debuted lemon shortbread.

And there is a whole line of brownies, including dark chocolate mint, dark chocolate coconut, even a golden macadamia nut that doesn't have any chocolate. "Our brownie line is just going crazy," Duyao said.

Tyler Gilman, manager of Ukulele Puapua at the Pacific Beach Hotel, teaches 'ukulele lessons to Japanese visitors. He sat in for the strategy meeting and said customer service is vital to those who want to learn more about Hawaiian music and culture.

He said he was disappointed but not shocked at the lower satisfaction levels. "Japanese have a very high expectation level for customer service," Gilman said.

"Part of that is cultural, but part of it is our responsibility."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.