HTA Launches Educational Mālama Hawai‘i Campaign

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority recently launched a new marketing campaign that rewards tourists for their participation in restoration, conservation, and education efforts.

Travelers can experience the Hawaiian Islands on a deeper level with a greater emphasis on connecting with the culture, giving back to the destination and preserving it for the future, while following safe health practices.

That is the message behind a series of poignant and educational videos being played to visitors before and after they arrive in Hawaiʻi.

The videos are part of the Mālama Hawaiʻi marketing campaign, which was recently launched through a partnership between HTA and the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The campaign’s target audience is the mindful traveler – those who respect the culture and environment of the places they visit and seek to explore responsibly, to make meaningful memories through enriching experiences.

This is in line with HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and its four interacting pillars: natural resources, Hawaiian culture, community, and brand management.

The Mālama Hawaiʻi campaign launched across the US includes social, digital, and video ads. The digital and video ads can be seen by audiences on the mainland and in Hawaiʻi.

The campaign messages are delivered in a variety of versions, including longer-format videos. Working together, they highlight issues relating to the restoration of Hawaiʻi’s natural resources, the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture and how visitors can engage in these efforts:

• Episode 1: Noelani Lee on Aquaculture: Mālama Hawaiʻi

• Episode 2: Kiai Collier on Habitat Stewardship: Mālama Hawaiʻi

• Episode 3: Sam Ohu Gon III on Reforestation: Mālama Hawaiʻi

• Episode 4: Rick Barboza on Sustainable Farming: Mālama Hawaiʻi

• Brief version: A New Way to Travel: Mālama Hawaiʻi

The videos drive visitors to the Mālama Hawaiʻi page on www.gohawaii.com. HTA’s Mālama Hawaiʻi program is a statewide initiative involving nearly 100 industry partners and local organizations that provide inspiring volunteer opportunities, which ultimately lead to regenerative tourism. By making a positive impact, visitors are able to engage in an enriching travel experience and can even enjoy a free night’s stay at participating hotels. Visitors traveling to Hawaiʻi with purpose will walk away with a long-lasting understanding of what it means to mālama (take care) our Earth, each other and ourselves.

The Mālama Hawaiʻi videos and campaign were presented to HTA’s Board of Directors during the May board meeting.