THE million-plus people from across the nation and the world expected in Washington, D.C., for the presidential inauguration likely would be a receptive audience for promoting Hawaii tourism. In the coldest season of the year, presenting the image of the tropical island settings where Barack Obama was born and raised would surely be appealing, as U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie has suggested.

Tourism officials should take full advantage of the occasion to attract visitors, whose numbers have dropped precipitously in recent months.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has referred the suggestion to one of its committees. It should be moving swiftly; deadlines for participation in festivities are close at hand. The deadline for the high-profile inaugural parade was set for today, but has been extended until Tuesday, and planning for other events is in full swing.

A hula troupe from Virginia stood in to represent Hawaii in the parade for President George W. Bush's second inauguration, which drew just 30,000 people and did not have any island ties.

Gov. Linda Lingle's tourism liaison, Marsha Weinert, says marketing Hawaii during the inauguration has to be carefully reviewed for return on investment. Of course, but whatever models she and the HTA have on file to extrapolate returns should be looked at sooner rather than later.

Lingle, who is touring Asia to drum up tourism, would do well to make sure Hawaii doesn't miss a chance for promotion on the domestic front.

“;We've never spent money on an inauguration in the past,”; Weinert says, but Hawaii has never had a native son elected president before, either.