This week we have a mixed plate of noteworthy developments on the tourism front, each item contributing in its own way to the visitor industry: the first an anniversary of an island landmark and tourism icon, the second an initiative on the part of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, and the third the introduction [...]
Kaua’i Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr., accompanied by county government and tourism officials, welcomed visitors from Shanghai in late January. The nearly 150 business executives and their spouses represented the first of what will be several more groups from China to visit Kaua’i in the coming months. As I noted in a recent MidWeek column, [...]
Readers of this weekly column are accustomed by now to the key themes and issues I’ve been raising about the future of our visitor industry. These particularly include the necessity of federal support for travel and tourism as national priorities, the importance of visa waivers as a means of stimulating more travel from friendly nations, [...]
The National Football League’s annual Pro Bowl returns to our island shores Sunday, one week before the Super Bowl. Hawaii has been a fabulous host for this all-star contest ever since it first arrived in 1980. Hawaii proved its appeal as participation by the athletes and fan attendance increased dramatically following years of declining interest. [...]
Each year for the past 22 years, the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) has honored the men and women who provide the exceptional service, professionalism and aloha that have distinguished the state’s visitor industry from its inception. This has been accomplished through the annual Na Po’e Pa’ahana (“the hard-working people”) awards program, which recognizes [...]
The annual Sony Open in Hawaii tees off Jan. 9 for a week’s worth of great golf competition. Featuring 144 of the world’s top professionals, the Sony Open is an eagerly anticipated event on Hawaii’s sports calendar and one of the most prestigious sporting events in the islands. The Sony Open is also an example [...]
We all should recycle cans, bottles, newspapers and, after the holidays, our Christmas trees. As mayor, our city team worked diligently to keep Oahu green, from instituting islandwide curbside recycling to the naming of the manu-o-Ku as our official bird as part of 21st Century Ahupuaa initiative. I knew then that we’d have to pursue [...]
Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, formerly known as Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association, may not come immediately to mind when you think about organizations of local industries or professions.But HLTA is one of the largest private business associations in the state, and certainly the largest in the visitor industry. What began more than 60 years [...]
Visitors love our islands during the winter, flocking to Hawaii to escape the frigid climates of their homes, and to bask in the sun and warm aloha of our people. While a Hawaii vacation alone would be a memorable Christmas gift for any traveler, our hotels do everything they can to make the occasion all [...]
Kaua’i’s Festival of Lights at the Historic County Building is one of many similar events around the islands of Hawaii. This year’s festival, opened by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Dec. 2, marks the 15th year of this holiday celebration. The Lights on Rice Parade, music, art, decorations and a host of other activities have all become [...]
