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Tourism industry
worried by recent
visitor attacks
Officials say incidents
like the van hijacking
erase marketing gains
A spate of high-profile crimes against tourists during the last several months -- including Tuesday's tour van hijacking -- is concerning tourism officials, who say the bad publicity could taint Hawaii's idyllic image and reduce the number of visitors.
"It could potentially hurt real bad if it became a big-time story," said Rex Johnson, executive director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "It just takes silly, stupid things like this to just throw away ... millions and millions of dollars in marketing."
Officials point to several recent crimes against tourists as potentially damaging to the industry, and say the van hijacking is especially troubling because it involved three children. "It's really unfortunate that this negativity is going out nationally," said Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii.
"It has a ripple effect."
On Tuesday a Dolphin Excursions tour van was stolen at Kahe Point on the Waianae Coast with a man and three girls, 10 and younger, on board. The Colorado man was threatened at knifepoint before all four visitors were eventually freed along Farrington Highway.
The van was found later that day with almost all of the tour group's belongings missing. Police were following up on leads yesterday but had not made any arrests.
Other recent high-profile crimes against tourists that have made national or international news include:
» A day earlier, Tim Noreuil of Missouri was attacked after leaving Hula's Bar & Lei Stand in Waikiki. The 39-year-old was struck on the head with a blunt object and sustained facial injuries that required surgery.
» On Sept. 23, Oklahoma visitor Pam Disel was attacked on her way to Hula's with two other women. The 25-year-old said a man punched her in the face after he asked her if she was gay and she said yes. She suffered a concussion, broken jaw and fractures below her right eye.
"I think what we're seeing is more high-profile cases" causing concern, she said. For example, the van hijacking story was picked up by dozens of mainland newspapers, including USA Today.
Johnson said the recent incidents will likely bring more attention to tourist-related assaults or thefts and could renew the debate over whether crimes against visitors should receive stiffer penalties.
visitoralohasociety.com/
Hawaii Tourism Authority
www.hawaii.gov/tourism
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