The U.S. Hawaii travel market: A pillar under pressure. Will this new focus be the answer?
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59 thoughts on “Hawaii Seeks Broader Horizons as U.S. Travelers Tighten Wallets”
The U.S. Hawaii travel market: A pillar under pressure. Will this new focus be the answer?
Please no UK or German tourist in Hawaii. Really, we don’t need those drunken louts coming down here and disturbing the peace like they do in Spain and southern France and Greece. I speak from experience. Keep the airfares from Europe high so only people with good manners fly over to visit.
It’s really far from Europe to Hawaii. The Europeans have well established vacation spots that offer sun, surf, sand and (even) slots.
Hawaii needs to work to build an economy that creates value and exports it.
“Authentic cultural experiences.” If you want that you’re far better off going to Tahiti, Samoa, Rarotonga, or Fiji. Unless you consider Walmart and McDonald’s as “authentic cultural experiences.” Plus all the aforementioned places are significantly cheaper once you get there.
BOH Bro’s help me understand.
Message from Hawaii has been their want for less tourism, but when there’s a decline in tourism hurting their economy the solution is to seek more tourism from different parts of the world?
I’m so confused…
2 messages. You referenced both. Very discouraging.
What an absolute shocker – after all of the price gouging that has been taking place on/in Hawaii, the number of visitors declines..who would have thought that? All of those fees, taxes and daily charges directed toward visitors were supposed to solve all of the economic and tourism woes for Hawaii – yet they have only made things worse.
I do want to see Hawaii succeed and I hope trends like this opens the eyes and minds of those folks entrenched in Hawaiian government at the state, county and local levels before it is too late, but my faith in government is pretty much non existent. Focusing on the European market is like diving in the kiddie end of the pool. As bad as the financial situation has become in the U.S., Europe is far worse off and any hope the solution to Hawaii’s visitor count can be found there is unfounded. Why would Europeans travel half way around the globe – even if desirable European island destinations are overcrowded?
Well if must be “crazy town” at the HTA because this idea that somehow they’re going to attract large quantities of European travelers to Hawaii using direct Hawaiian Air flights from London is just plain crazy talk. The governor, mayor and HTA have collaborated to kill the tourism on West Maui and now they’re going to replace West Coast US and Canadian Hawaii visitors with Europeans is just a joke or maybe this is what they consider “Raw Dogging” at the HTA
Good luck getting people from Europe to come to the Islands in any significant numbers. Most of my family and friends who live in Europe go to Malta, Greece, Croatia, or Mykonos. All within a short plane ride. Hawaii would be better off concentrating on the vast majority of tourist who come to the Islands. The ones from the mainland.
Hmmm, insult the visitors from the mainland and tell us not to come….then, cry about us not coming and try to get European visitors? What’s up with y’all man? Caribbean is lookin better and better every day.
From what I see here on the mainland people are still traveling. We live just south of a tourist area and it is thriving & as vibrant as ever. No economic pullback here. I am not sure that HTA investment in luring European travelers will be any more effective than it was with Japan. Am not sure what they are trying to accomplish. Residents who do not want visitors are not going to analyze whether these are European or mainland tourists and it is not going to solve the housing issue. The tourist issue is fragile because that is what was wanted…less tourists . This all seems so passive aggressive
I think families will not come without a non stop flight. Lufthansa and British have done test flights in the past.
Delta tends to focus on Holland but American and United could also offer a mix of non stops and code share non stops from Lindon and Frankfurt using 787’s. The 777 equipment is too big for current demand for revenue pax. I have often thought AA should fly a HNL-LHR – HNL out Saturday back Sunday using 787 equipment in the May – September period as a toe in the water.
More Europeans? Does that mean we’ll be seeing more guys sporting those unsightly Speedo “bunhugger” bathing suits with their pot bellies hanging over the front?
You are worried about the wrong sex. The BOH censored my post about what Euro women of ALL ages prefer to wear to the beach. And the women are the ones booking 90% of the vacations.
There is no light at the end of the tunnel with Hawaii’s government.
I’ll be sure to wave as I fly over on my way to Tahiti…
HTA doesn’t spend money on tourism, Europe does. We don’t need HTA staff flying around the world or promoting Hawaii. We need money spent on Hawaii attractions which are long neglected. Forget Europeans coming. Let’s make Hawaii fun and full of new experiences.
I feel sad. The only vacation my husband and I choose to take is to Maui – year after year after year…because we love it. This proposal to spend advertising money in hopes of appealing to Europeans feels like a big fat slap in the face. Like, the one I’ve loved has turned on me and wants to purse a relationship with someone else. I would love to see Hawaii make us feel like we are valued and desired, not unwelcomed and unwanted. And, government leaders: build some homes for your people! Stop telling us it’s our fault!
In other words, you’ve insulted and pissed off all your fellow American travelers and now have to sell foreigners on your fake Aloha treating people like $$$ signs.
Agree completely with Dan and DjF.
Hawaii’s incompetent woke one party clown car government needs to get a grip on reality.
Hawaii is halfway around the world from Europe. When Europeans want a warm weather tropical vacation in America they fly nonstop to Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico. They’re not going to fly an additional 4000 miles plus to Hawaii. Enough with the word salad psychobabel BS about mindful tourism. Hawaii is part of the USA, and whether you like it or not, your tourist economy depends on American tourists from the mainland. Americans want to support Hawaii and Hawaiians. We are all part of the same country. Your culture is now very much apart of our National mosaic. Like it not, we’re married and not getting a divorce. These politicians need to wise up and spend their time and energy serving the people of Hawaii and not worry about foreign tourist dollars.
Americans are going to come to Hawaii and that’s not going to change.
Aloha. This summer tourists carved their initials into a 2000 year old house in Pompeii. Another tourist to Spain splashed water on ancient cave drawings so he could get a better photo. Are these the mindfull tourists Hawaii is courting? Hawaii doesn’t have a corner on bad players. They are everywhere.
Europeans will go to places where their ladies won’t be arrested for going top less.
“…authentic cultural experiences. …unique cultural and natural offerings. …immersive and responsible travel experiences.”
We continue to see these phrases from HTA, but I pause now to wonder what they really mean. Though I’ve visited Hawaii more than 50 times, what these phrases represent for the tourist is not clear. Can someone give specific descriptions and examples of current options for each of these? Yes, I know such things exist, but I don’t think of such experiences as something you can buy. It’s not clear what will be offered to tourists that is different from what has always been on offer.
Hawaii didn’t learn a thing after covid, we’ve had multiple opportunities to get creative and diversify, yet the consistent theme is “do what we know”, which is now drying up. This doesn’t even include all the mis-messaging. Instead of shipping all our dollars to Las Vegas, maybe the compromise is to allow online gambling + sports. No excuses to blame on crime this way. Hawaii needs to start using its collective brain.
Hmmm tourism could decline? Already has significantly. European travelers the answer? Most that I have experienced are backpackers, staying in hostels and Airbnbs. Maui alone has proposed with unanimous Maui Planning Committees vote, for 50% of the STRs to be banned. If the costs for STR owners weren’t so high, rates could lower to entice US visitors. Only the airlines seem to making any effort.