HVCB says Japan
trip was worth itThe bureau appraises the media
exposure of the governor's visit
The week-long Hawaii tourism promotion trip to Japan led by Gov. Linda Lingle in early July produced positive media exposure for the islands worth three times the cost of the trip, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau officials said yesterday.
Lingle, however, said the proof of the trip's value still depends on an upturn in visitors from Japan.
In its weekly report on travel industry developments, the bureau said the governor's tourism promotion trip, which cost $231,000, produced 136 million "impressions" worth more than $759,000 in positive media exposure for Hawaii and its visitor industry. Impressions mean the number of people who saw or read something about Hawaii.
HVCB's public relations firm, Weber Shandwick-Japan, estimated that articles in newspapers and magazines reached 97.1 million readers worth an estimated $306,558, while television coverage reached 13.4 million viewers, valued at $390,795.
Exclusive interviews with Lingle and other Hawaii tourism officials reached 25.6 million people, worth $62,042, it said.
Lingle led a 44-member delegation that included tourism officials, former sumo wrestler Konishiki, beauty pageant winners, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste and a representative of Big Island Mayor Harry Kim.
Before the Republican governor returned from the trip, Democratic leaders in the Legislature had launched an inquiry into why HVCB paid $4,100 in expenses for a KITV television reporter and cameraman to accompany the delegation. The station later said it would reimburse the bureau.
Lawmakers grilled HVCB's since-resigned president, Tony Vericella, Hawaii Tourism Authority Executive Director Rex Johnson and Lingle's communications director, Lenny Klompus, about the arrangement.
Vericella told lawmakers it was felt that having a TV news team join the tourism promotion would be appropriate as part of the bureau's duty to keep Hawaii's tourist industry and community informed of its efforts.
He and Johnson said it was the Governor's Office that wanted KITV on the trip, but Klompus said it evolved during joint planning for the trip when KITV inquired about going along.
Lingle made no apologies for having KITV accompany the delegation and said more Hawaii media should have made the trip.
After the trip, Lingle said she wanted HVCB to do a "good analysis" of the trip's benefits.
The governor said yesterday that she had not seen the HVCB's report, but said it does not appear to be the information she was seeking.
"I was talking about visitor counts over the next couple to a few months," she said. "Our goal was to increase the number of visitors coming into the state, and I think that's important that we measure."
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau
