Hawai'i's tourism industry is offering new deals, incentives and packages as it grapples with an unprecedented "perfect storm," including the U.S. economic crisis, turbulent airline industry and Americans holding tight to their wallets.

Officials on Wednesday unveiled a $4.5 million campaign to lure visitors for the remainder of the year. The effort is part of the more than $12.5 million in emergency funding that has been devoted by the state and businesses to combat a slump in tourism.

One key component is promoting Hawai'i's value as a destination, which means trying to dispel the perception that the Islands have become too expensive.

"It's cheaper to go to Vietnam, Bali and some of these other places like Mexico, but at the end of the day, they come back and say, 'It's not Hawai'i,"' said David Uchiyama, vice president of marketing at the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "The value of Hawai'i is not only the price point, but it's also the experience."

Hawai'i, however, has become more affordable for many, possibly for the first time in years.

Officials said despite rising airfares, a Hawaiian vacation package costs less this year by hundreds of dollars compared with last year. Some hotels are offering a complimentary extra night or breakfast and more businesses are offering 2-for-1 deals on activities.

As part of the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau's new winter campaign, advertisements featuring humpback whales, hula dancers and breathtaking scenery will start appearing in newspaper travel sections this Sunday.

Targeted search and banner ads will also appear on several Web sites.

Meanwhile, a major public relations effort is in the works to generate travel stories, photos and blogs about the sights, sounds, flavors and activities of the Islands.

HVCB, which is charged with marketing Hawai'i to North America, has identified eight cities for the winter program to lure "high-potential" travelers to Hawai'i in the near term. They are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Dallas and New York.

Over the past decade, Hawai'i has faced many challenges that have taken a toll on tourism, from the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But officials say nothing compares to the multitude of challenges now.

"This is the classic perfect storm," said John Monahan, HVCB's president and chief executive.

Besides the turmoil in the economy, Hawai'i this year faced the sudden shutdown of Aloha and ATA airlines, two major carriers serving the Islands from the West Coast. The state also lost two cruise ships.

Visitor arrivals plunged 17.3 percent in August compared with the same month last year, including a record 24.4 percent drop in visitors from the West Coast, according to the latest state figures. Visitor spending also fell 17.6 percent.

Tourism is the No. 1 industry in Hawai'i and the economic lifeblood of the Islands. A drop-off in visitors affects everything from jobs to tax revenues.

"There's absolutely no silver bullet to make it better," Monahan said.

"But to do nothing, to not keep your voice out there, to not tell a revised value message is unconscionable," he said. "We've got to be out there, keeping Hawai'i on top of people's minds."

According to the U.S. Conference Board, 36 percent of Americans surveyed in June planned to take a vacation over the next six months, which was the lowest in 30 years and more than 6 percentage points lower than the same month in 2007.