Hawai'i's tourism marketing experts see the coming months as a time to rebuild following nearly 1 1/2 years of declining visitor arrivals and spending.

Firms contracted by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority to promote the state's No. 1 industry today will unveil various marketing plans, from media blitzes to Los Angeles and Seattle, to sponsored trips for bloggers, and pitches to niche tourism markets such as honeymooners.

Yesterday, the top contractors provided a preview of some of the plans to news media, painting a picture of cautious optimism for 2010 while acknowledging that this year will be one of overall decline.

Among the challenges are continued global economic worries, the threat of swine flu spooking travelers into staying home and competition from other destinations worldwide, said HTA's David Uchiyama.

Japan is especially mindful of flu fears. A burgeoning recovery in the number of visitors from Japan collapsed when Hawai'i began reporting an increase in swine flu cases during the spring.

Hawai'i Tourism Japan's Takashi Ichikura said news of a fuel surcharge on Japan flights also is worrisome.

The surcharge starting in October would add $39 each way to a Hawai'i flight. However, the surcharge "is much lower than it was in previous years," Ichikura said.

Hawai'i's major market that sends the most visitors is the Western U.S., which sent 4.79 million visitors in 2008. It is targeted to send 4.6 million visitors this year and 4.65 million for next year.

John Monahan of the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, said private and government industry leaders have cooperated more than ever on joint campaigns that support each other's efforts rather than the previous separate "low hum" of activity that went its separate ways.

The bureau helped pull together a San Francisco push earlier this year, are just beginning a $3 million joint campaign in Los Angeles and plans another blitz in the Pacific Northwest later this year.

Two other blossoming markets in Asia offer more reasons for hope. Michael Merner said Hawai'i Tourism Asia is projecting increases in Hawai'i visitors from both South Korea and China, because of eased travel restrictions.

Merner said Hawai'i visitors from South Korea are up 9.7 percent this year with more flights; and a prediction for another 3.7 percent increase next year. "Things are looking good."

China has been plagued by "draconian" flu prevention tactics that include masked medical teams boarding each flight, he said. Then forcing anyone within three rows of someone with suspect symptoms into a seven-day quarantine paid for by the travel agency that sent them.

Merner said those restrictions are easing after China officials "realized how futile and silly that was."

Without a resurgence in those tactics, the HTA's Uchiyama said China visitors are projected to rise from this year's tally of about 53,000 to 73,000 next year.