OCT 26, 2019 – With Canada posting positive numbers for Hawaii in the first half of the year (+1.7% to 310,248), a delegation of close to 20 tourism, attraction and hotel representatives from the islands, along with staff from the state’s Canadian representation office in Toronto, visited Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver last week to spread the latest news from Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
At the mission’s Toronto event, approximately 80 agents turned out at Royal Woodbine Golf Course for an afternoon of island-specific presentations, training and dinner.
Top of mind for some of the participants was Hawaii’s new Kuleana (“Responsibility”) Campaign, a series of videos available online and through airline and hotel partners designed to educate visitors on do’s and don’ts while in destination, co-ordinated by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB).
The campaign includes 15-, 30- and 60-second videos aimed at curbing some of the challenges each island county is facing. Topics include ocean safety and conservation, culture, land safety, astute renting, and pono (righteousness).
“Many travellers visiting the Hawaiian Islands don’t necessarily understand why we stay on the trail when we hike, why we care about protecting our reefs, and many of the dangers they need to be mindful of,” says Jay Talwar, HVCB’s chief marketing officer. “Rather than scold them, we felt that if our residents shared the ‘whys’ behind appropriate behaviour then most visitors would follow along; in other words, if we don’t show them the trail, how can we expect them to stay on it? That’s what our new Kuleana campaign aims to do.”
Some of the messages include: swim, surf and snorkel only when a lifeguard is on duty and be aware of ocean conditions before entering the water; be mindful of the impact plastics and sunscreens have on Hawaii’s coral reefs; research legal vacation rentals thoroughly online before booking to avoid scams; and respect nature by taking only photos as mementos and leaving only the smallest of footprints behind.
“It’s about safety, courtesy and respect,” Maui VCB director of leisure sales, Julie Yoneyama told Travel Industry Today, explaining that the initiative isn’t necessarily a reaction to over-tourism, but simply a means of prudent stewardship of the environment, coupled with ensuring the safety of visitors (and citizens), such as educating on where it’s appropriate to stop on the Road to Hana, which challenges drivers with 620 hairpin turns and 59 one-lane bridges.
Of course, there is much more going on in Hawaii. Here’s a brief eye on the islands:
OAHU
With Pearl Harbour as a centrepiece, Oahu is gearing up to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II next year. The Oahu Visitors Bureau’s Karishma Chowfin says local tour operators are currently putting together packages to showcase the occasion, which culminated with Japan’s signing of surrender on the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbour on Sept. 2, 1945. “2020 will be a big year,” she says.
Meanwhile, after a multimillion-dollar transformation, Halepuna Waikiki, formerly the Waikiki Parc Hotel (a former Canadian favourite), now offers 284 guest rooms and four suites with Pacific Ocean views. The luxury boutique hotel’s design is complemented by local artwork sourced in collaboration with the Honolulu Museum of Art. Also on site is a bakery and restaurant offering a full-service, all-day casual dining concept featuring a variety of pastries, cakes and artisanal breads crafted by a baker from the Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
KAUAI
In line with Hawaii’s Kuleana campaign, Kauai now has a reservation system to help manage visits to its popular north shore (and specifically entry to Haena State Park). The new system was implemented after the area was a hit by flooding and landslides last year resulting in a long closure of the road approaching the park. Now there are limits on the number of daily visitors allowed and potential visitors must reserve a spot or a shuttle seat (Gohaena.com) at least 30 days in advance. “We’re turning away 200 cars a day,” says Kauai Visitors Bureau director of marketing Maile Brown, who adds, “That’s our biggest message since June: we want travel agents to advise their clients so that they don’t get turned away.” However, the experience for those who do go is much better. “It’s a part of the island I never used to go to,” admits Brown. “It was such nightmare. Now it’s (claps hands)!” The response to the measure, she adds, has been positive. “People are saying thanks for conserving that resource.”
HAWAII
While Kauai was afflicted with rain and floods in 2018, the Big Island of Hawaii had to contend with an eruption of the Kilauea volcano in May, with lava ultimately covering an area 35 sq. km large (and destroying more than 700 homes) and creating 3.54 km of new land in the ocean. In tourism terms, the event “opened a whole new chapter for us,” says Deanna Isbister, director of sales for the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, who says that many visitors are eager to see the effects of the eruption (it’s been a year since it stopped) and not just the famous “glow.” “People are in the curious stage and exploring all parts of the park,” she says, noting that ranger walks and talks are a great learning experience.
But Isbister is quick to also point out that Hawaii has many more attributes beyond its number one attraction, Hawaii National Park. There are, in fact, five national parks, a thriving agricultural scene (“everyone knows we have coffee and macadamia nuts, but there’s vanilla, cacao, mushrooms…”) with a farm-to-table culture, and ocean activities such as swimming with manta rays. And, she says (oddly it seems), “We want to remind that we have beautiful beaches – not just lava coastlines!”
MAUI
More and more venues in Maui are focussing on cultural offerings, and
Maui VCB’s Yoneyama urges Canadian visitors to take advantage. Hotels like the Kaanapali Beach Hotel have long touted and taught native Hawaiian culture, for example. A new option is the new “Fire and Wine” culinary experience at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, which is designed to “give guests a rare glimpse into Hawaii’s wild side, with a sophisticated touch.” Set at the historic Haiku House plantation estate, the experience includes a multi-course meal based on Maui seafood, game and produce “pulled out of the fire” and paired with top-notch wines. With a high repeat rate of Canadian visitors, Yoneyama acknowledges, “People are creatures of habit.” But with so much to choose from, she says, “Find something new!”
LANAI
On Nov. 1, the former Lodge at Koele reopens as the Four Seasons Hotel Lanai at Koele, A Sensei Retreat. The new adults-only resort on the remote island of Lanai features 96 guest rooms and suites, plus a soaring Great Room, Sensei by Nobu restaurant, and spa and wellness facilities including 10 private spa hale. Unique to the Hawaiian market and a Four Seasons first, the all-inclusive hotel will focus exclusively on wellness retreats, offering a comprehensive and fully customizable program tailored to individual needs. Located against a backdrop of towering Cook pines and banyan trees, the new wellness experience takes full advantage of the 36,000-hectare island’s natural beauty and seclusion.