Big events soften the
blow for Big Island

Cruise ships and the Ironman
Triathlon help attract visitors

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By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

HILO >> Three cruise ships are bringing 3,700 tourists to Hilo this week alone.

Next weekend in Kona, the Ironman Triathlon is drawing more than 1,500 participants.

In November, the Kona Coffee Festival typically draws delegations from as far away as Japan and Switzerland.

Amid worries about the state economic downturn caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, business leaders on the Big Island are pointing to facts like these to illustrate that there is still life in the island's economy.

Still, the downturn is real enough that Gov. Ben Cayetano is meeting with 30 business and community leaders in Hilo today.

Fred Duerr, manager of the Kona Village Resort, said occupancy at the resort is between 50 and 60 percent, compared with the 70 percent that is normal for this time of year.

But most of the people who canceled are rebooking for the first quarter of next year, he said.

Hawaii is far from the East Coast, he noted.

"People need to heal. What better place to do it than to come to Hawaii."

And Paula Helfrich, executive director of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, insists that economic strengths also remain.

She refers to the 788 passengers on the SS Independence, 80 percent of capacity, who arrived in Hilo Monday, the 1,111 passengers on the SS Patriot, 95 percent of capacity, arriving today, and the 1,820 passengers arriving from Vancouver, British Columbia tomorrow on the Liberian ship Vision of the Seas.

Vision of the Seas will continue to Honolulu following its Big Island stop.

Helfrich said the 1,510 participants in the Ironman typically attract an additional 300 to 400 international media people.

At the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, executive director Marnie Herkes noted that the Ironman participants also bring an average of three friends or family members with each of them.

Reports of tourists canceling planned visits to Hawaii do not apply to the Oct. 6 Ironman, a staffer at the Ironman headquarters said. Only about 10 participants have canceled in the last two week, a normal cancellation rate, mostly due to matters such as injuries or illness.