#Hawaii Tourism Authority

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Board of Directors has appointed Blaine Miyasato as the new chair and Mahina Paishon Duarte as the new vice chair.

Gov. Green appoints Circuit Court Judge and important boards and commissions positions. Appointees include positions as a First Circuit Court Judge, and members to the Ethics Commission, Campaign Spending Commission and Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Visitor spending on Maui was $619.4 million in June 2023, compared to $549.8 million in June 2022 (+12.7%) and $477.1 million (+29.8%) in June 2019.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the state agency responsible for managing tourism and The Hawaiian Islands brand, is resuming its work in Europe as a visitor market for Hawai‘i.

Maui County hotels led the counties in June 2023, bringing in the highest revenue per available room and average daily rate, according to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

MNMRC’s Digital Takeover of baggage claim screens helps visitors treat Maui County with kindness.

The Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation, announced the launch of its 2023 Hawaiʻi Commute Challenge: Go Multimodal. Participants will walk, bike, bus, carpool and utilize public transportation for any trip to earn points, complete weekly challenges, and compete for a chance to win fun prizes. 

Two new members of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board of Directors were appointed by Governor Josh Green, M.D. Hawaiian Airlines’ Blaine Miyasato and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s James Kunane Tokioka fill seats for four-year terms that expire June 30, 2026.

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation presents a unique experience of one-of-a-kind sleepovers for families at historic sites in Lahaina Town. The first sleepover of the series, Night at the Museum, takes place on Aug. 19, 2023.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is providing $2.7 million in funding to 53 community-based programs through its Aloha ‘Āina and Kūkulu Ola initiatives, emphasizing the preservation of natural resources and the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture in the state.

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority has invested over $11 million in various community projects and events, including the Maui Jim Invitational and Festivals of Aloha on Maui, while also welcoming new team members to manage signature events and community enrichment programs.

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority President and CEO, John De Fries, announced he will not be accepting an extension of his three-year employment contract, which concludes on Sept. 15, 2023.

“The Transformation of Hā‘ena State Park,” is described as a comprehensive playbook that details how this once overcrowded, overtaxed, and over-loved park – literally at the end of the road on Kauaʻi’s north shore, has experienced a complete makeover.  

An overwhelming majority of visitors ranked Hawai‘i as a safe and secure destination and ideal for volunteering and giving back, according to the results of a survey conducted by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism during the first quarter of 2023. 

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the state agency responsible for managing tourism in Hawaiʻi, awarded three contracts to advance progress toward regenerative tourism through destination management and visitor education.

Maui County hotels led the counties in April 2023, achieving Revenue Per Available Room of $398, and an Average Daily Rate at $609, and occupancy of 65.4%, according to the latest Hawaiʻi Hotel Performance Report released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

Projects and events being funded under the Community Enrichment and Signature Events programs help to build community, foster authentic experiences for residents and visitors, and contribute to a stronger, resilient economy for Hawai‘i.

Fears faced by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority were tempered on Friday when House Bill 1375 was deferred in conference committee. The measure would have transferred functions, duties, appropriations, and positions of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority to the Office of Tourism and Destination Management. But the HTA does not emerge on solid ground, since funding for marketing was not included in the state budget.

Maui had 276,485 visitors is March of 2023, up +15.4% from the same time last year, when 239,538 visitors came, and up +1.7% from March of 2019 when 271,934 arrived.

Reservations are now required for out-of-state visitors and commercial operators at ‘Īao Valley State Monument when the park reopens May 1, 2023.