After the rain, Kauai’s tourism sector is roaring
Arrivals from L.A. have jumped 10.2 percent so far this year
Sunny days have returned for Kauai tourism, which has bounced back from the record rainfall that devastated the island in March and is expected to show continued growth in visitor arrivals and spending through the year's end.
Arrivals on Kauai are outpacing those of the overall state because of strong visitor demand and increased air service, said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. Kanoho and other Kauai tourism players were on Oahu this week to share the island's results and new marketing plans.
Kauai visitor arrivals have increased 8.7 percent year-over-year through July, while visitor spending has risen 10.2 percent, Kanoho said.
"We have experienced strong results for July and year to date," Kanoho said. A comeback in arrivals from Los Angeles and San Francisco has been especially encouraging given the major drop in those markets during March, she said.
Kauai tourism professionals have been heartened to see the enthusiastic response from travelers to the island over the past several months, said Kelly Hoen, chairwoman of the Kauai Visitors Bureau and general manager of the Princeville Resort.
In March, arrivals from Los Angeles were down 17.3 percent, but the market has improved so much that it is up 10.2 percent in the year to date. Arrivals from San Francisco, which declined 24.8 percent in March, experienced a year-to-date increase of 5.2 percent.
New marketing programs and an increase in nonstop air service from destinations such as Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., have helped, Kanoho said.
The start of US Airways' nonstop Phoenix-to-Lihue service on March 1 boosted year-to-date arrivals from Phoenix by 42.5 percent and Tucson by 29.4 percent as compared to 2005.
Kauai saw year-to-date increases in arrivals of 20 percent or more from Oklahoma, Utah, New Mexico, California, Florida, Missouri and Nevada.
"Kauai's visitor industry has reason to feel optimistic as domestic nonstop air seats are projected to be 41.8 percent higher for fall," Kanoho said.
"We've definitely seen that increased air lift has a direct correlation on increased arrivals."
Many Kauai hotels are reinvesting in the Garden Isle as well. Among the highlights:
» Coco Palms, the hotel made famous by Elvis Presley's "Blue Hawaii," recently began a $214 million redevelopment, and is scheduled to welcome guests back by 2008.
» Hilton has re-entered the Kauai hotel market with its $14 million renovation of the former Radisson Kauai Beach Resort, which is slated to become the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort.
» The Poipu Beach Hotel, which closed after Hurricane Iniki in 1992, is undergoing construction and is expected to reopen as a full service hotel next year.
» The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa is adding 20,000 square feet to its Anara Spa, making it the largest spa on Kauai and the second largest in the state.
During the fourth quarter, the Kauai Visitors Bureau will begin running a TV commercial designed to emphasize the island's natural beauty and rural character. Produced by Laird Christianson Advertising, the message to travelers is to savor their vacation experience by embracing the slow pace of Kauai.
In addition, KVB is planning to partner with Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic, Sunset, Bridal and Midwest Living to run a series of print ads. Readers of Travel & Leisure named Kauai as the No. 1 island in Hawaii and the No. 2 island worldwide as part of the magazine's 2006 World's Best Awards.
Kauai also is introducing a travel blog to its Web site. Slated to post next week, the blog will feature first-person accounts on what it is like to live or vacation on Kauai.
The Kauai County Office of Economic Development has begun promoting the island's small business community through a "Kauai Made" label program. About 75 vendors, who make their products in Kauai or with Kauai materials, have enrolled in the branding program, which is marketed through www.kauaimade.net.