Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Monday, February 23, 1998
Foreign film crews can get visa waivers
Foreign film production crews entering Hawaii at the Honolulu or Kona airports are now eligible for special visa waivers, making entry easier for them.The change, which went into effect Feb. 15, should result in as much as $15 million in additional annual spending in Hawaii because of an increase in production of Japanese and other foreign commercials and films in the islands, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. The Immigration & Naturalization Service introduced a pilot program of special business waivers for film crews after efforts by DBEDT, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and the Hawaii International Film Association, DBEDT said.
Major bond investors getting tour of Hawaii
Major institutional investors in Hawaii tax-exempt bonds will tour the state this week to get a better understanding of the local economy, demographics, infrastructure needs and financing plans.State Budget and Finance Director Earl Anzai said the state must try to take its story directly to investors rather than having them rely on credit reports by bond-rating agencies. "We can no longer afford to sit passively on the sideline and hope our bonds sell themselves," he said.
The bond investors will tour Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, including visits to the Hawaii Convention Center, Ala Moana Center, the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, and a Kona coffee farm.
UH business college receives high marks
U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Hawaii's College of Business Administration 24th in the nation for international business.UH has established a worldwide reputation for its activities in the Asia-Pacific region, and the College of Business Administration has been a leader in this effort, UH President Kenneth Mortimer said.
The magazine evaluated business schools on the basis of reputation, placement success and student selectivity.
JAL, American sign code-sharing pact
TOKYO -- Japan Airlines Co. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines formed a marketing partnership that will let the two carriers cut costs and gain a greater foothold in each other's region, JAL said today.The "code-sharing" agreement, the first between a Japanese and U.S. airline, allows the carriers to book passengers on each other's flights. It was made possible after the United States and Japan agreed to ease flight restrictions last month, Bloomberg News reported.
The alliance gives American, the largest U.S. airline, more destinations in Asia while expanding access to U.S. cities for Japan's largest carrier.