Tourism

How to Increase Visitor Spending

Millions of tourists come to Hawai‘i and venture beyond the resort areas – crowding our parks, beaches, hiking trails, roads and more. But in 2019, total inflation-adjusted visitor spending actually declined, which means there was no extra money to fix this worn infrastructure. Here are three ways to turn that problem around.

Hawai‘i Island Identity Crisis

The dream of a Hawai‘i vacation is often nurtured by a steady stream of messaging from the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau and its island chapters. Their job, in a nutshell, is to ensure steady growth in the tourism industry.…

A New Locally Owned Hotel Company

Ben Rafter, who previously ran Aqua, wants to turn OLS Hotels & Resorts into “the next great Hawaii hotel operator” In an era when Hawaii’s hotel industry is dominated by offshore owners and operators, Ben Rafter wants to build Hawaii’s…

Voluntourism in Hawaiʻi

The opportunities for tourists to volunteer are growing along with the demand for those opportunities. From beach cleanups to cultural exchanges, forest conservation to farm stays, visitors are looking for experiences that are authentic, intimate and altruistic.

BOSS Survey: Tourism Report

The latest version of the BOSS Survey, conducted by the Research Division of the Anthology Marketing Group for Hawaii Business in Fall 2018, talked to 350 business leaders from all sectors of Hawaii’s economy. A separate survey-within-a-survey was conducted with…