BIG ISLAND VISITORS BUREAU TAKES AGGRESSIVE APPROACH DURING CHALLENGING TIMES

10/29/2008

Hawai‘i’s Big Island (Oct. 30, 2008) — The Island of Hawai‘i’s tourism statistics are out, and despite dismal figures for September, the Big Island Visitors Bureau remains optimistic about tourism for the Island.

BIVB Executive Director George Applegate says that the Bureau’s sales and marketing efforts already in place, a trio of new direct flights, and a statewide Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau effort to promote Hawai‘i as a great value this year, will help buoy the Island’s sagging numbers soon.

“A lot of people I talk to are surprised when I tell them we’re getting three new direct flights into Kona International Airport before the end of the year, and there’s a lot more to look forward to,” said Applegate. He points to these six bright spots on the horizon for the Big Island’s tourism economy:

New Air Lift – Despite the hard hits suffered by the loss of ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines, air lift to Hawai‘i’s Big Island will rebound in late 2008 and into the first quarter of 2009. A new daily, year-round flight on Alaska Air from Seattle to Kona starts Nov. 17, and will add up to 57,000 seats per year based on current schedules. This is great news as Seattle was among Hawai‘i Island’s fastest growing markets in 2007 and continues to hold great potential. Even in this challenging year, arrivals from Washington to Hawai‘i are up 5.6 percent, while they are down from the U.S. as a whole. Air Canada’s inaugural weekly direct flight on Dec. 13 from Vancouver to Kona, will add up to 1,100 seats per month, and WestJet, which launched a direct flight between Vancouver and Kona last year, resumes on Dec. 18, and will fly twice a week, bringing up to 1,400 new passengers per month. Delta Airlines, which began direct flights to Kona in June, added a fifth flight per week in October, further boosting air options to Hawai‘i’s Big Island. In fact, air seat capacity to the Island of Hawai‘i will be up 1.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to first quarter 2008.

Wheel of Fortune – Beginning Nov. 5, America’s most popular syndicated television show will show off Hawai‘i’s Big Island to more than 47 million viewers per week for three weeks in November, and another week in February 2009, a total of 20 episodes. The show was filmed on location at Hilton Waikoloa Village in September, amidst a backdrop of stunning Kohala Coast sunsets, swaying palm trees, and other scenic spots around the island. It’s the second time BIVB has teamed up with Hilton to support the show, the first time was back in 1996.

Oh, Canada! The Canadian market continues to be a bright spot that BIVB is tapping into, and the BIVB team, including 11 Big Island resorts, island activity partners, and wholesalers like Fun Sun Vacations, WestJet Vacations and Air Canada Vacations, dazzled travel agents during a series of sold-out Canadian road shows Oct. 20-23. Presentations in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver included musical performances by Brittni Paiva, and will ensure Hawai‘i’s Big lsland remains top of mind for travel agents in Canada as we head into the Canadian winter travel season.

New Markets – Looking to a promising Asian market, BIVB continues to ramp up initiatives in China and Korea, while maintaining momentum in Japan. BIVB will travel to Shanghai to participate in the China International Travel Mart Nov. 20-23. The Bureau is also bringing in a team of international golf writers from Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong and Japan to participate in the Writers Cup Golf Tournament Nov. 17-22, in cooperation with the Kohala Coast Resort Association. Hawai‘i Island’s golf offerings will be highlighted in top magazines throughout Asia. In April, Executive Director George Applegate and Mayor Harry Kim traveled to Korea and met with Korean tourism officials, travel trade partners and Korean Air to promote Korean tourism to Hawai‘i’s Big Island, discuss the new Visa waiver program and increased air lift. Earlier this week, LOOK JTB’s 25 millionth customer, Masayo Sudo, arrived on Hawai‘i’s Big Island – her second time visiting – so she could see the latest activity at Kīlauea volcano. This milestone event is being widely publicized in Japan.

Advertising & Promotions – BIVB has kept the Island of Hawai‘i top of mind through advertising and partnership programs with industry giants Travelocity, Orbitz, American Airline Vacations, Air Canada and more. The bureau works closely with our established airline partners such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, U.S. Airways, Northwest Airlines and Japan Airlines, which provide direct service to Hawai‘i’s Big Island, and their wholesale partners, to ensure direct flights remain full and successful. Japan Airlines’ Narita to Kona service continues to run nearly full. Three direct mail and online promotional campaigns highlighted travel values, the Big Island golf seasons special offers, vacation package savings, and more. Collectively, the campaigns reached more than 1.5 million consumers from August to October.

Online – BIVB realizes its website, www.BigIsland.org, is more important than ever as an indispensible tool for travel planning. Recent improvements to the site include the addition of a Sustainable Travel Microsite, a new eruption update microsite, plus more information about Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and in particular its status as Hawai‘i’s only World Heritage Site.

In addition, BIVB’s initiatives are enhanced by Hawai‘i Visitor and Convention Bureau’s marketing efforts. Under the theme Discover More Of Hawai‘i For Less Than You Imagined, HVCB has launched a winter vacation campaign offering travel packages to the Hawaiian Islands at deeply discounted savings.

For travelers, there might not be a better time than now to visit the Island of Hawai‘i.

NOTE: BIVB recognizes the use of diacritical markings, i.e., glottal stop (‘), macron (ā), in place names of Hawai‘i, such as Kīlauea. However, BIVB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

Big Island Visitors Bureau Media Contact:
Jessica Ferracane, Irondog Communications, (808) 895-5740, jessica@irondogpr.com