Where marketing dollars are concerned, stick with what works NUKOLI’I – Visitors coming to Kaua’i since September 11 are largely from the U.S., said Fred Atkins, managing partner of Kilohana, the old Wilcox plantation estate in Puhi that is home
Where marketing dollars are concerned, stick with what works
NUKOLI’I – Visitors coming to Kaua’i since September 11 are largely from the U.S., said Fred Atkins, managing partner of Kilohana, the old Wilcox plantation estate in Puhi that is home to Gaylord’s Restaurant and other small businesses.
Therefore, millions of dollars of emergency tourism marketing money earmarked for Japan should be re-routed to U.S. markets, where results would be more rapid and help local businesses, he said.
Margy Parker, executive director of the Po’ipu Beach Resort Association, said she was surprised when the hoteliers on the PBRA board recently reported stronger-than-expected arrival figures from people from the East Coast.
Lots of people, apparently, are canceling planned European vacations and other trips in favor of domestic locations including Hawai’i, she said.
Parker echoed concerns of other speakers about the millions of emergency marketing dollars recently earmarked by the state Legislature to target the Japan market, which will take more time to rebound than the domestic market, she said.
The comments came at a public hearing on the Hawai’i Tourism Authority’s strategic plan update yesterday afternoon at the Radisson Kaua’i Beach Resort.
Throwing money into the Japan market now is not going to help, said Gregg Gardiner, publisher of 101 Things to Do on Kaua’i. Spending that money on the U.S. West Coast will mean a quicker return on the investment, he said.
But Gini Kapali, director of the county Office of Economic Development, said the Japanese market is important not only because of the number of visitors it generates, but also because of Kaua’i Japanese resort and other property owners who can send lots of business development prospects to the island.
Regarding the domestic market, Fern Merle-Jones of the newly formed Hawai’i Wellness Tourism Association said people on the mainland are in need of healing, and promoting Hawai’i as a healing state and Kaua’i as a healing island will encourage more visitors.
Her wedding business has been healthy since September 11, and she feels that Kaua’i’s reputation as a wellness island, a place for healing, is at least one reason why.
Kapali thanked the HTA for allowing the county to become the funneling agent for HTA funds for festivals and similar regional events, strengthening partnerships on Kaua’i and between governmental agencies.
Parker said it was a “brilliant” idea to let the county be the funneling agent for HTA small-events funds on Kaua’i, for among other reasons it must relieve the HTA of some oversight duties because county Office of Economic Development employees are now providing that.
Festivals and small events are “huge” for small businesses on the island, said Mamo Cummings, president of the Kaua’i Chamber of Commerce. Where marketing dollars are concerned, Cummings urged the HTA to stick with what works.
Kapali also said she appreciates the HTA’s strategic planning process being very “inclusive,” leading to some pertinent action steps.
Several speakers encouraged more support for high-technology ventures on the island, and the techno-tourism that goes along with that. Techno-tourism promotional dollars bring people to the island who might not otherwise come here, and that means potential new businesses which means potential new jobs for the island, said Gardiner.
Alton Miyamoto of Kaua’i Electric said the amount of money being spent on leisure tourism versus techno-tourism is very disproportionate, especially when the state considers techno-tourism an important emerging market.
“Nurture this industry,” he said.
A few other speakers, while thanking the HTA for festival and event funding, bemoaned the slow release of funds for events. In some cases, event funding comes after the event has already taken place, and the small, nonprofit groups can’t pay expenses in a system like that without timely release of approved HTA funds, they said.
Other speakers said the Hawai’i Visitors & Convention Bureau Web site is too cumbersome, and causes some computers to crash when it’s loaded.
Some speakers whose groups received HTA events funding thanked the organization for that funding, and Deborah Baker of the Hawai’i Hotel Association Kaua’i chapter thanked the HTA and HVCB for weekly updates providing the latest information regarding the visitor industry in Hawai’i and around the world.
Around 40 people showed up for the meeting, one of several statewide scheduled by the HTA to gather public input about the revised strategic plan.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
