HTA holds brainstorming
session with Hawaii-based
Japan tourism marketers

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By Tim Ruel
truel@starbulletin.com

Japanese tourists have become sensitive to high prices, and are seeking cheaper places to visit than Hawaii, such as China. Japanese tourism companies want the state to continue to pump money into marketing Hawaii as a destination.

But spending tax money needs to be justified, particularly in light of a recent scathing audit of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and visits from Japan have not recovered to pre-Sept. 11 levels. So if it is to encourage tourism from Japan, the authority needs to know what markets in Japan have the most potential.

With that in mind, Frank Haas, tourism marketing director for the authority, met for several hours behind closed doors yesterday with top Hawaii officials of companies that cater to Japan.

"This was the beginning of a journey," Haas said.

Present at the invitation-only meeting were local leaders of Japan Airlines, Northwest Airlines, tour firm Kintetsu International Hawaii, Nippon Travel Agency Hawaii, Ala Moana Center, Hyatt Regency Waikiki and DFS, among others.

Hideaki Kembishi, president and chief executive of Nippon Travel Agency Hawaii, said Hawaii was once special to first-time Japanese visitors, but has become ordinary over time. The isles need to be different, more Hawaiian, and the state needs more special events. Kembishi described yesterday's meeting as productive, and said it was the first time he'd had a chance to talk directly with the tourism authority.

Gilbert Kimura, regional director for Japan Airlines, said earlier this week that Hawaii's market for honeymoons and older Japanese visitors remains steady. The trick is deciding whether to target the younger Japanese, and figuring how to do so without alienating the older market.

The next step, Haas said, is to hold more closed-door meetings with other sectors of Japanese tourism, such as attractions and wedding companies.

Hawaii slipped from fourth place to fifth among overseas destinations for Japanese travelers this summer, according to a survey by JTB Corp., Japan's biggest travel agency.

In 1997, Hawaii's top year for arrivals from Japan, an average of 179,300 visitors came here each month. This year, the average has been 113,450 arrivals a month, a loss of 65,800 high-spending tourists.