• Koloa Plantation Days • Poipu Marketing Survey • Mini Trade Show • Busy Airport this Summer • Internet Bookings • Rep. Case Coming Koloa Plantation Days Koloa Plantation Days from July 24 through August 1 will see four new
• Koloa Plantation Days
• Poipu Marketing Survey
• Mini Trade Show
• Busy Airport this Summer
• Internet Bookings
• Rep. Case Coming
Koloa Plantation Days
Koloa Plantation Days from July 24 through August 1 will see four new events. Sheraton Kauai will sponsor a day-long Ho‘okulaia (Hawaiian cultural and hula celebration) July 24 from noon to 9 p.m., taking the place of the former “block party.”
Kiahuna Plantation Golf Course hosts an “all-comers” golf tournament July 25 with food and music. The event is open to all ages and will benefit Junior Golf.
Judy Dalton of the Sierra Club is hosting a Pao‘o Headlands Hike from CJM stables to Maha‘ulepu and back on July 28. Finally, a watercolor painting workshop will happen July 30 at Maha‘ulepu with Koloa artist, Helen Mehi.
Eleven other events will happen throughout the week, with the prime attraction still being the annual parade and fair in Koloa on July 31.
This year’s theme is Na Mele, Plantation Style (Music of the Plantations).
For more information, go to http://koloaplantationdays.com or call 822-0734.
Busy Airport this Summer
Lihue Airport will see 48 direct flights weekly July through August, along with boosted inter-island service by Aloha, Hawaiian and Island Air. TSA Customer Support Manager Gini Kapali advises lodging suppliers and rental car agencies provide scales for departing visitors.
According to Gini, airport check-in lines are hung up by over-weight baggage.
Delays can be avoided if visitors check the weight of their bags before arriving at the airport and make appropriate changes.
Gini encourages accommodations and car rental companies to provide simple scales for weighing bags.
Direct service flights usually limit baggage weight to 50 pounds per item; inter-island service limits are 70 pounds per item.
Internet Bookings
According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), 67% of Internet users who travel (over 64 million people) used the Internet in 2003 to find information on destinations.
Of these, 42.2 million booked their travel arrangements online, an 8% increase over 2002, showing that booking behavior follows data gathering.
In other words, learning about a destination is a precursor and motivator to booking.
All travel arrangements, including activities, were made by 29% of online bookers in 2003, compared to 23% in 2002. In other words, 29% made no post-arrival travel plans.
The trend has grown steadily since TIA started their survey in 1997.
This information was recently provided by Best Places Hawaii Marketing Alerts Newsletter.
Poipu Marketing Survey
Initial results of the Spring ‘04 Visitor Profile Survey show that 34 percent of the 467 respondents came from California, followed by Colorado at 5.6 percent, and 53 percent stayed only on Kauai.
Honeymooners accounted for 15 percent; booking through a travel agency accounted for 37 percent; 96 percent would return to Poipu for a future vacation; 49 percent were between 45 and 65 years of age; 76 percent had college degrees and 40 percent had a household income of $125,000 or more.
Mini Trade Show
July 9th is set for an HVCB / KVB Island Pau Hana Event: HVCB and KVB are teaming up to provide information about key marketing and membership services for their respective organizations during an event set for July 9th at the Marriott Kauai from 3 to 5 p.m.
In addition, there will be a mini trade show featuring member exhibits. Attendance Fee is $10.00.
Member Mini-Tradeshow Tabletop Area costs $20.00 to exhibit (includes attendance fee for one staff person) For more information email dhose@hvcb.org.
Rep. Case Coming
Representative Ed Case “talks story” in Kalaheo July 31 at the Kalaheo Elementary School Cafeteria from 1 to 2:30 p.m..
It’s all part of his swing through all islands and Case said it’s a great opportunity for the public to speak out.
New Air Service
American Airlines has added a third non-stop between Chicago and Honolulu three times a week.
United has re-instated their daily Chicago to Honolulu service.
Aloha Airlines will be starting up Las Vegas to Honolulu non-stop service in September as well as adding Sacramento to Maui service.
Their Phoenix to Maui direct service will discontinue.
