Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Rep. Richard Onishi announced $2 million in funding to promote tourism from the mainland and $1 million to promote tourism from Japan during a press conference today. The Hawai`i Tourism Authority money aims at helping Hawai`i Island to recover from the downturn in visitor arrivals following the volcanic eruption. Photo from Hawai`i House of Representatives

A $2.5 MILLION BUDGET TO PROMOTE HAWAI`I ISLAND TOURISM was announced today at a press conference held by east Ka`u Rep. Richard Onishi, who chairs the Tourism & International Affairs Committee in the state House of Representatives,. He and visitor industry representatives  described a program, funded by the Hawai`i Legislature and Hawai`i Tourism Authority, to help tourism rebound on this island, following last year's volcano disaster. Also on hand was west Ka`u Sen. Dru Kanuha and Hilo Sen. Kai Kahele.

Chris Tatum, CEO of Hawai`i Tourism Authority

     Said Onishi, "The Legislature last week approved an additional $60 million in emergency relief funding to repair damaged infrastructure. But money for infrastructure alone will not fix the damaged economy. That is why I was gratified to learn that the HTA is stepping up to the plate to provide funds to help revive Hawai‘i Island's economy."
      Among the $2.5 million in expenditures will be a traveling tour bus. "Wrap it in scenery from Hawai`i," said Chris Tatum, CEO and President of Hawai`i Tourism Authority. He said the bus will head out of San Diego and up the West Coast to Seattle with a sales team visiting travel agencies and television stations. It will take about a month. Money will also go for new photography to promote the island. "The skies are clear," said Tatum.
     Onishi said, "We are going to be going back to the major markets the U.S, the West Coast, Japan and trying to promote Hawai'i in a different fashion, besides just the Volcano. There are many, many more things  that can be done on Hawai'i island for people to come and see and participate on and that's the key."
      Tatum talked about the challenge of attracting visitors following the eruption. "We see a little drop off in pace on all the islands, but nothing like what we're experiencing on Hawai`i Island, especially from what happened last year, with the volcanoes, the storms. And we have an obligation to support their effort to bring that business back. That's what the whole effort is. It's not only to manage tourism on the Hawai'i Island but to reposition ourselves, enhance our brand, share with the world all the things that Hawai`i Island has to offer other than just the Volcano."
     Tatum said, "We need to focus on driving business." He said there has never been a better time to visit Hawai'i Island. He said he is working with Hawai`i Tourism United States (with $1.5 million in funding) and Hawai'i Tourism Japan (with $1 million in funding). He said they are  "our two biggest contractors," and described their efforts as "really focusing in not only on Kilauea, the volcano, but

Ros Birch, Hawai`i Island Visitors Association

really the incredible experience that happens on Hawai`i Island for all our visitors: the culture, the beaches, world class golf, great resorts and natural beauty. But let me throw in on the managing piece. We want to make sure that whatever we promote, we engage the community. We want to make sure we're promoting what they want us to promote."
     Said Tatum, "We want to drive people into Hawai`i Island. We got to keep people working, but we also got to keep those panes flying that fly direct from Japan and the U.S. As long as we can keep those load factors up, they'll keep flying," He mentioned that the Japan market responded during the volcanic eruption with a 30 percent drop tourism to Hawai`i Island.