tourism

Hawaii’s tourism figures for 2019 have not yet been released, but they have for Japan. It’s a record number, but it also shows some changes in visitor arrivals.

New Year’s celebrations in Hong Kong will be a bit more subdued than usual this year. A large show of fireworks over the harbor was canceled this week, because police say they are concerned about crowd safety. And if trends continue, there will be many fewer visitors.

Hawai‘i’s green energy goals are among the most ambitious in the nation, and other states are closely watching our progress. Hawai‘i’s stated goal is 100 percent renewable energy generation by 2045, an ambitious target that requires tackling the problem of airline fuel. Nearly a third of the petroleum consumed in Hawai‘i is for jet fuel. In this edition of Planet808, HPR visits this past week’s Hawai‘i Aviation and Climate Action Summit.

Fewer Chinese visitors are coming to Hawaii, according to the latest figures from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. That matches a broader trend for the United States.

Hawaii tourism figures will soon be out for the month of September. So far this year, visitors have been increasing from the United States and dropping from the Asia Pacific. Part of that trend relates to slowing economies overseas. But within Asia, other tourism figures are being hit by political developments.

Late August is a popular time for vacation in many parts of the world, and a busy period for travelers to Hawaii. That’s not the case in Thailand, but this week the country’s top tourism official scaled back expectations for the rest of the year.

Hawaiʻi is expected to see its 10 millionth visitor this year. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority says in the first half of 2019, tourist arrivals were up by 4 percent even while visitor spending fell. Communities statewide are feeling the growing presence of tourists -- at local beaches and on the roads. Now, University of Hawaii researchers are asking how precisely are visitors affecting local neighborhoods – like those in Windward Oahu.

For many people, August is a time for vacation and for travel. But for many residents of China, those travel options have been reduced effective today.

eSports is a billion dollar industry, and growing. Cities around the world are holding eSports tournaments, hoping to attract younger visitors and become major destinations for the industry. But what would it take for Hawaii to become a player in eSports?

A panel of Big Island business leaders recently talked about challenges and transitions across multiple industries. One of the key sectors: the hospitality business.

The highway beyond Hanalei on Kauaʻi’s North Shore is officially open to the public today. Kūhiō Highway has been closed for more than fourteen months to complete repairs following last year’s massive rain and flooding. While some residents are glad the roadway is open, others are bracing for the influx of visitors.

Hawaii is not the only set of islands dealing with changing expectations for the tourism industry. This week, New Zealand has recalibrated its goals for visitors, and their impact on the economy and the environment.

Today on Bytemarks Café, Burt will talk to Shaka Guide, a local startup that produces trips and guides around Hawaiʻi. Also, a discussion about out how they've grown to incorporate new technologies as well as expand to new markets, beyond Hawaiʻi. 6:30 PM on HPR-1.

The visitor industry remains one of Hawaii’s key economic engines, but what about the future? One need is to continue to develop a tourism workforce, and that was a goal of a program this month involving more than a thousand high school students on four islands.

Ten million visitors a year may be a goal for some, but it’s an overwhelming number for others. Hotel executive and tourism marketing experts sat down with Pacific Business News to talk about their current challenges and opportunities.

Hawaiʻi visitors can now buy medical marijuana while on vacation in the islands. The state Health Department announced it is offering temporary cannabis cards to qualified out-of-state patients. 

Long-time hotel executive Christopher Tatum is the new head of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. He’s got some plans for a new direction.

Visitor spending in Hawai‘i increased nearly 7-percent last year. It grew even faster in China, but that was the slowest growth in a decade. And when it comes to Chinese headed overseas, the figures tell a different story.

Many countries tax tourists when they leave. The United States has done it for years — including international visitors leaving Hawaii. But in one Asian country, this is the first week for that practice.

Visitor spending in Hawaii so far this year is running about 9-percent ahead of last year’s pace. But tourism is growing even faster in one of the main sources of Hawaii’s visitors: Japan.

Vivid images of volcanic eruptions captured the world’s attention this year, but frightened off visitors. 

An experiment in tourism continues this week in the Philippines. The government closed one of its most popular beaches for six months to clean up the area and reduce the capacity for visitors. Now the beach is open again, but not everything is going as planned. 

It’s still too early to determine what impacts the Marriott hotel strike may have on tourism in Hawai‘i. That may be one challenge for the new leader of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, expected to be named soon. On the other side of the Pacific, there’s a different sort of challenge for tourism.

Visitor spending and arrivals are up across the islands compared to a year ago. That includes visitors from most markets in the Asia Pacific. And residents in one of those countries are setting records for foreign travel.

August was another month of growth for the state’s tourism industry, but only slightly.

We’re a week away from the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s annual Global Tourism Summit. While the state will update its latest strategies to attract visitors, other locations are considering similar plans. And that includes the capital of South Korea.