“Play Golf America” is a rallying cry shouted out daily by a huge number of major sport, entertainment, and political celebrities. Golf has long been the recreational sport of choice for famous people such as NBA star Michael Jordan, NFL Hall of Famer Bret Favre, tennis great John McEnroe, Academy-award-winning actor Michael Douglas, and Grammy-award-winning musician Kenny G. All of our last three presidents have openly wished they could spend more time on the golf course. Now they are telling the public to join them in playing this great sport. Play Golf America is a national program sponsored by the leading associations in golf – the PGA of America, USGA, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and the NCGOA. This program was designed to encourage existing golfers to play more golf and get new golfers to take up the game. The concept is simple – these national associations are joined annually by thousands of PGA golf professionals at various golf facilities around the country in offering low-cost educational clinics, leagues, and tournaments for golfers at every level of ability. There is a national Web site, playgolfamerica.com, where consumers can enter their zip code and find golf courses nearby that are offering these special opportunities. They can easily register online to attend these events and find links for additional information and opportunities. The Aloha Section of the PGA, with more than 200 members and apprentices in Hawai‘i, also sponsors three major Play Golf America Days for the community – one on O‘ahu at Ko Olina Golf Club in late April, another on Kaua‘i at Puakea Golf Course in August and then one at the Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course in December. These events are really a celebration of golf in a festival-like atmosphere with free lessons by more than thirty of our top teaching professionals, games, contests, free demo clubs provided by top golf manufacturers, and most of all, fun for the entire family. These events allow the Aloha Section PGA to give back to the community and help people improve their game. New this year is an educational program called Learn to Play Golf people wish they could learn to play, but face obstacles such as limited time or resources, which can keep them from starting. The Learn to Play Golf America program addresses those obstacles and helps new want-to-be golfers get started properly. The whole idea is to grow the game and get the entire family involved in a healthy lifetime sport. Thanks to the USGA handicap system and the use of different tees, golf is the one game where men and women players of any age and any skill level, can compete against each other on an equal basis. So, grab your clubs and Play Golf America! playgolfamerica.com

As wedding planners, we often learn of challenges that our brides and grooms encounter relating to their guests. Surprisingly, many couples share similar frustrations. Here we identify a few common pet peeves and offer related tips to help make everyone’s day at the wedding fabulous.

The Invitation

Let’s start from the beginning— being invited. Most wedding invitations include a response card to communicate whether or not you plan to attend. Couples often find that on the date their RSVPs are due, response cards remain outstanding, resulting in them having to follow-up with invitees by phone. Be sure to return the response card on time, and by this, we literally mean send it back. Avoid e-mail or phone call responses if the invitation includes a response card. Typically, the response card will have a line for you to write your name. Remember to include your last name, and feel free to jot a note to the bride and groom on the card. Couples appreciate receiving messages, and some will even include your hand-written well wishes in their wedding scrapbook. Also, be mindful of the number of seats reserved for you. If the envelope is addressed to your name “and guest,” interpret that to mean that you can bring one additional person with you, and no more than one. Bringing a guest for whom you did not RSVP should also be avoided.

Children

Another sticky point for many couples is whether to allow children at their wedding. If your children are invited to attend, by all means, feel free to bring them. If not, avoid asking if you may add on your children, as it might create an awkward situation for the couple. Sometimes, the decision to have an adult-only event may be financially driven; other times, the couple may be limited by the size of their chosen venue, or it may simply be that the couple would truly like to be in the company of adults on their wedding day. Whatever the case may be, lend your kokua by observing their wishes.

Week of the Wedding

Brides and grooms spend the last few days prior to their wedding attending to final preparation details. Often, couples find themselves being pulled in a number of different directions: wanting to spend time with family, friends, and bridal party members who have assembled for their wedding, gathering and relaying critical information to vendors, and sometimes even working up until their wedding. Understand that this is a hectic time for couples, so to best support them in the week prior to their wedding, avoid pulling them in yet another direction. Rather than contacting them with questions, see if there might be someone else who you could direct questions to, and if you are traveling to attend the wedding, arrange for your own transportation while in town, unless it is prearranged for you by the bride and groom.

Promptness

While common sense, punctuality warrants its own special note. While it may seem easy to slip in unnoticed, multiple latecomers can, and often do, prevent a ceremony or reception from starting on time. Bear in mind that with weddings, many vendors (musicians, photographers, limos, etc.) charge by the hour, and delays could lead to additional costs for the bride and groom. The bottom line is that brides and grooms wish to celebrate their special day with you and they would love for you to enjoy their wedding day too. Demonstrating your cooperation by following these simple suggestions may be one of the best gifts you could give to a bride and groom—the gift of your support.

David Silva wasn’t looking to “start a movement” when he discovered Max GXL. However, because he is known and trusted in the community as the owner of Revolution Motorsports, he has been able to promote the product island-wide. Max GXL is a vitamin-enhanced supplement that combines all of the elements necessary to accelerate the production of glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a molecule made up of three amino acids that exist in the cells of the human body. Glutathione is essential to helping the normal functions of the immune system and acts as an antioxidant.After flying to the mainland to meet with the owners of the company that produces and supplies Max GXL, David came back to Hawai’i to do his own research on the product before giving it his stamp of approval. David and several college students used the supplement for a period of time and noted the results. Not only did Max GXL give more energy to the user, it also stimulated the production of glutathione in the cells; and it did not give false impressions of curing common, everyday infirmities.After years of research and study, the founder of Max GXL, Dr. Robert H. Keller, was able to produce a vitamin that, when ingested, included all of the right elements to produce glutathione. Dr. Keller discovered that the most prevalent, powerful, and multifunctional antioxidant in the human body, employed by every organ, is reduced glutathione. Under normal circumstances, if glutathione by itself is given as a pill, the acids inside the stomach would hinder it from being absorbed into the blood stream. What Max GXL does is disguise the glutathione-producing components in a vitamin form so that stomach acids cannot keep it from getting into your system.David is excited to be sharing this product with his family, friends, and fellow members of the community, as he believes that Max GXL can change people’s lives. Already, David has found it to be successful with everyone he introduces it to.“I encourage people to come and talk to me with questions or concerns,” David said. Because of his success at Revolution Motorsport, he is eager to give back to the community that helped nurture his dreams. For a box of the Max GXL supplements, you can contact David.David Silvarevolutionmotorsports@yahoo.commaxgxl.com

Think global, act local. It’s a concept we’ve been hearing for over a decade. Now, more than ever, we’re seeing a cooperative effort from many industries to support green living. The fashion industry is definitely no stranger to timing, and with visionaries like Fred Segal continuing to make a statement regarding ecofriendly practices in the industry, it’s about time people start catching on. Fred Segal would be happy to know that Hawai‘i has already caught on and is continuing to promote sustainability in the fashion industry. In April 2008, the island of Kaua‘i was the setting for the Hawaii Fashion Incubator’s first annual “Green Style on the Garden Isle,” a three-day awareness campaign promoting environmentally-friendly fashion, set during the same month as Earth Day. It didn’t necessarily start as a green event. Hawaii Fashion Incubator (HiFi) members, always at the forefront of promoting fashion as art and industry, actually envisioned the weekend as a mini-fashion week — similar to the event series held last October in Honolulu. “We were having so much fun together at the HiFi booth during the Fresh F.A.C.E of Nu‘uanu event, and talking up the mission of HiFi. Denise, who came from Kaua‘i for the weekend, suggested that we bring together the community on Kaua‘i. Just like that, it was decided. We found a date and started planning,” says HiFi co-founder Toby Portner. Denise is handbag designer Denise Tjarks, an extremely conscientious Kaua‘i artist who has focused her design business on having a reputation of sustainable style and reducing its carbon footprint. “I love paying tribute to the past with vintage fabrics,” she says. “I hoped to raise awareness of ecofriendly fashion and also showcase our amazing local design talent. It’s also a great time to introduce HiFi to the Kaua‘i fashion community.” Skip ahead six months. All the planning is about to pay off. It’s the opening night of “Green Style on the Garden Isle,” set as a fabulous weekend kick-off event at Flash & Matty Boy’s “Release” at the Point in Po‘ipu. A little more than 150 Kaua‘i partygoers were exposed to the Hawaii Fashion Incubator for the first time with footage of Honolulu’s 2007 Fashion Week, as well as four designer pieces in a mini fashion show — a preview of the weekend’s huge “Project Green” fashion show at Kukui Grove. Still reeling with pleasure over the concept of having something different and exciting to participate in on a Friday night, Kaua‘i residents were very receptive to what was going on. It also helped that the entertainment was better than ever, thanks to Honolulu’s DJ ESKAE and the debut of popular O‘ahu DJ Davey Shindig playing music. Opening night was a brilliant display of the local fashion community for the Kaua‘i nightlife set. Day two was a private affair for the more mature fashion enthusiasts of Kaua‘i that don’t necessarily stay up so late. A private reception and panel discussion was held for an invited guest list of local retailers, buyers, designers and fashion enthusiasts. The panel included prominent professionals from the local fashion and business community, including Laurens Laudowicz (Green Drinks, 100% Green), Ed Fernandez (Organik Clothing), Ane Bakutis (Kealopiko), and Dana Roberts (Malie Inc.). The interest and excitement in the room continued to grow with each speaker, and HiFi’s mission was definitely achieved that night. In addition to the panel discussion, Laurens Laudowicz hosted a special Green Drinks event later that evening, starring organic tequila. The sponsor, 4 Copas, kept guests lively well into the evening with delicious green margaritas. The final day was the largest, with an “Eco-nista” buyer’s market for participating designers and a “Project Green” fashion show at Kukui Grove Center in Lihue. Many designers were exposed to Kaua‘i’s retailers for the first time and even had orders placed on the spot. Labels like Organik Clothing, Martinique, Machinemachine, ZsusaB, and Herban Development gathered to show boutique owners that sustainable fashion is very close to home. “We are used to getting everything from elsewhere, and yet we can learn to create more of what we need right here,” says Portner. “I think that’s pretty eco-friendly — buying and supporting local products creates work here, doesn’t require shipping, and also demonstrates that we can make a lot of what we need on-Island.” The fashion show was a huge success thanks to University of Hawai‘i, School of Design graduate and HiFi member Katrina Bodnik. Displaying more than 15 participating O‘ahu and Kaua‘i designers paying homage to the green fashion movement through the use of sustainable materials, most of the models were recruited and prepped during the weekend and some that day. Throughout the show, each designer came out to introduce their lines and talk about how they support environmentally-friendly creating.“ As much as possible, I use fabric from bolt ends — the leftovers from bigger design houses. I work with someone who helps me find those ‘scraps’. If I can find good vintage, I use that,” says Portner. The exposure to their creations was phenomenal thanks, to the large public venue and many shoppers stopped to watch. As a member of HiFi, I was completely floored by this three-day event. The cooperation, the planning across two Islands and the amazing response by everyone who attended was so inspirational. It definitely tells me that there is a very eager desire for both fashion and green living to thrive in Hawai‘i. Says HiFi co-founder Melissa White, “It’s been great to see the fashion industry embrace green thinking in the past couple years and it’s becoming clear that it is not just a trend — green truly is the new black.” “I’m encouraged by our Kaua‘i weekend because as we invite more people to join the network we grow in numbers and in potential impact,” says Portner. “Our future plans include extending to the other Islands and supporting and promoting local designers and local business. Again, it’s a habit. The fashion industry can be an example for other industries — we can also eat food grown here, buy furniture built here, landscape our homes and businesses with native plants. “There was a time when ‘eco-friendly’ or environmental consciousness was a separate content area/topic. It seems that now, it’s just a part of how people are thinking in general, as applied to any topic or issue.” Eat your heart out, Fred Segal.

How To Get Involved:

What: The Hawaii Fashion Incubator. A non-profit organization dedicatedto advancing and sustaining fashion as art and industry in Hawaii. Who: Hifi’s network presently includes nearly 1,000 members of the localfashion community, from buyers & retailers to designers, media,photographers, models, event planners, makeup artists, educators,students, and fashion enthusiasts Where: www.hawaiifashion.org

  The Miss Hawaii Pageant is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, while its parent, the Miss America Pageant, traces its roots 27 years earlier to 1921. Did the Miss America Pageant block minorities from competing? The Pageant did have Rule #7 in the 1930s, which stipulated “contestants must be of good health and of the white race.” As late as 1940, all contestants were required to list on their data sheet how far back they could trace their ancestry. However, when the first Miss Hawaii pageant was held in 1948, the Hawaii organizers petitioned the Miss America Pageant and asked for an exemption. It was granted. The Miss America tournamentgrew out of a city-wide festival in Atlantic City to boost tourism after Labor Day. The festival was called the “Fall Frolic,” which included an “Inter-City Beauty Contest.” In 1922, the first Miss America was crowned. The general public was quite critical of these pageants until World War II when beauty queens were enlisted to sell war bonds. The pageants became more reputable when organizers started scrutinizing contestant’s backgrounds and morals. Winners were awarded college scholarships. Since 1945, $300 million in scholarships have been awarded. The contests were becoming more respectable. In 1948, twenty-year-old Yun Tau Zane, a sophomore at the University of Hawaii, entered the contest that was part of the first 49th State Fair held at Kapiolani Park. At the time, Hawaii expected to be the 49th state, hence the name of the fair. Irmgard Waiwaiole graced the stage with a beautiful hula and won the pageant. However, rules stipulated that winners had to complete their high school degree by a specified date. “Like many others, World War II had interrupted Waiwaiole’s education and she didn’t earn her degree in time,” says local chiropractor, Dr. Dennis Momyer, president of the Miss Hawaii organization. “She had to relinquish her crown because she had not graduated from high school,” Momyer continues. “Runner-up Yun Tau Zane was named Miss Hawaii, and became the first Asian American to compete for the Miss America title.” Zane danced the hula for the talent portion of the contest. “Although she didn’t win, she was voted Miss Congeniality, which came with a $1,000 scholarship,” Momyer says. “Miss Hawaii used the money to earn her teaching certificate from the University of Wisconsin. She taught at Maemae School for 26 years.” Hawaii girls were named Miss Congeniality three times in the first four years they participated in the Miss America Pageant. Yun Tau Zane paved the way for other minorities to compete in the Miss America Pageant. In 1970, the first black woman to win her state title, Iowa’s Cheryl Brown, made it to Atlantic City as a contestant. The first Asian American to become Miss America is Hawaii’s Angela Perez Baraquio, who won in 2001. Many King Street drivers have noticed that there’s a Miss Hawaii Building across the street from Zippy’s near Washington Intermediate. Several people have asked me if it has any relation to the pageant. I looked into it and found that it does not. The Miss Hawaii Building dates to 1947 when Genjira Jinbo was part owner of the Miss Hawaii Manufacturing Company, which made women’s clothing. This was a year before the Miss Hawaii Pageant began.

From performing at private parties for Bill Clinton to playing with artists like Eric Clapton, musician Jeff Peterson’s career has been anything but ordinary.Born on Maui, Jeff grew up on Haleakala Ranch listening to the traditional Hawaiian music his father, a paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, played for him. Initially, as a self-taught artist, Jeff learned mostly by ear. However, he has also been classically trained having earned a music degree in classical and jazz guitar from the University of Southern California.Due to the demands of music school, Jeff suffered an injury and had to take more than a year off on returning to O‘ahu. During this time he attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he earned his business degree. Since then, Jeff taught music classes at UH and is now touring with Hawaiian vocalist Amy Hanaiali‘i.This well-versed musician also grew up listening to and playing slack key guitar, a musical tradition in the Islands. When the paniolos (cowboys) first came to Hawai‘i they brought with them the practice of loosening the strings on their guitars, known as slack key. Although Jeff has been trained to play many types of guitar, he still feels a strong connection to his Hawaiian heritage. He says it is important to respect the tradition of kupuna, (elders). “If that is always in the back of my mind, I can grow in ways that have a connection to the past,” says Jeff.In 2005, Jeff performed on a CD, entitled Slack Key Volume II, which won the first Grammy Award for Hawaiian music. Jeff says the win was really a tribute to people like Gabby Pahinui who paved the way for the Hawaiian musicians of today. Every year since 2005, a CD featuring slack key guitar has won the Hawaiian music Grammy.Jeff currently lives in Manoa Valley with his wife Kahealani. In addition to playing and touring with Amy Hanaiali‘i, he is also part of a full orchestra in the company of Matt Catingub and is also collaborating with a string quartet from New York, called Ethel. In addition, his newest CD is set to come out in June, which is a tribute to Haleakala.On top of all of this, Jeff also has a private production company called Peterson Productions. It is an independent label that allows him to own his music, and have more say in what the music is, and how it is marketed. He laughs, and says, that to make it as a musician he “has to have about 10 different jobs.” Another of his jobs is playing at Michel’s restaurant in Waikiki, which he has been doing for the past nine years. You can listen to Jeff play at Michel’s, Thursday through Monday nights at 6:30 p.m.Living on O‘ahu where the music scene is very vibrant, offers Jeff many chances to collaborate with other artists. “A lot of different musicians come through here because Honolulu isn’t a big city, so there is a lot of opportunity to work, study, and learn from the musicians that play here,” adds Jeff. He contends that there is always more to learn when playing an instrument.Jeff has been able to maintain such a successful career because of his diverse background. “Everyday is an adventure,” he says. Jeff has played in Japan, Thailand, Australia, Europe, and up and down the East and West coasts of America. “I feel very fortunate with my music because I can explore what I love playing,” he says. Jeff mostly enjoys composing, playing, touring, and teaching music to others. He remarks that the best part of his job is seeing others’ reactions to his music. To purchase one of Jeff’s CDs or just to learn a little more about slack key guitar, visit jeffpetersonguitar.com.Jeff Peterson808.218.9496jeffkahea@mac.comjeffpetersonguitar.com

If you are a marketer who is still using newspaper and television as primary vehicles to reach Gen-Y, it may be time to reevaluate your overall strategy because the “traditional marketing formula” will not work for this generation. Gen-Y grew up with the Internet and it has always been their main source of news, information, and entertainment. A majority of Gen-Y has had mobile phones since their pre-teen years. They prefer texting over voice calls and Instant Messaging (IM) over e-mail. Gen-Y stays in daily contact with friends through social networking sites and through online gaming communities. They are extremely knowledgeable about news and current events because they use RSS feeds to pull in filtered information from global sources. They get breaking news, offers, and event invitations texted directly to their phones, and they even keep in touch with presidential candidates through text. For those of you feeling a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of having to learn these new-media and marketing channels, the following tips are designed to help you effectively communicate with the ever-elusive Gen-Y market: UNDERSTAND YOUR GEN-Y CUSTOMERS: Gen-Y does not respond well to blanket mass-marketing messages. You have to reach them in their preferred media and speak their language. A Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) can help you accomplish this. A CRM is a database that gathers detailed demographic, psychographic, and generational information on your customers. Studying this data over time allows you to spot key trends, know your customers on a deeper level, and discover what most influences their purchase decisions. THINK BEYOND TRADITIONAL MARKETING: Beyond the traditional staples, Gen-Y marketing programs should include strategies such as social-networking site promotions, viral-marketing strategies, organic search–engine optimization and online marketing, participation in product reviews and comparison Web sites, online and mobile surveys, video-game advertising, television product placements, mobile push/pull campaigns, and promotions with mobile tie-ins. CREATE GEN-Y SPECIFIC MESSAGING: A Gen-Y couple researching Hawaii vacation resorts should not land on a homepage showing gray-haired sixty-year olds on sightseeing tours. Half-naked twenty-somethings sipping mai tais on the beach would be a more appropriate image, along with navigational options for nightlife, ecoadventures, and trendy restaurants. Use this same gen-specific messaging strategy in all of your media. EMBRACE MOBILE: Gen-Y is the Mobile Generation. Smart marketers will purchase a common short code (mobile equivalent to a domain name) right away and publish it in all marketing materials alongside your Web URL. This will allow your Gen-Y customers to text into your CRM to receive exclusive offers and customer-specific information sent directly to their phones. If u r tinkng it may b 2 L8 4 u 2 catch on 2 all dis, den u may jus b rite. My advice is to sign up for a MySpace, Facebook, or Flickr account today. Start using the text feature on your phone immediately. Google RSS Feeds and Common Short Codes and learn all you can. And if all that seems too daunting, hire a generational marketing expert (lol).

  7-7-7, 8-8-8, 2-14, we’re not talking code here. Rather, these are just some examples popular wedding dates across the country. Last year, many noted the craze over the July 7, 2007 (7-7-7) wedding date. The easy-to-remember date, coupled with the “lucky number seven” symbolism drove couples to extremes in order to have this as the date for their nuptials. What many of these couples did not realize was that choosing a popular date meant slim pickings for everything from venues to coordinators; and for those couples who did foresee such a challenge, it meant planning as much as a one-and-a-half to two years in advance, in order to get their top picks for their wedding. This year, 8-8-8, with its easy-to-remember date, 8 being a lucky number in Chinese belief and the sideward “8” being a symbol of infinity, has proven to be the same, with wedding-related locales and services in high demand and even in shortage. The downside to choosing a popular wedding date is that popularity drives demand for wedding services, and service providers must stretch themselves in order to accommodate this spike in business. Similar to the wedding event itself, there are many factors to be considered when selecting an appropriate wedding date. Not only should you consider both of your schedules, be it work or leisure, you may also want to consider whether the important people in your lives can also be present to share in your day. This may mean looking into your loved ones’ school and vacation schedules, and possibly even whether your date falls in a peak season for hotels and airlines, as peak season means pricier rates and fares for those who would be traveling to attend your wedding. Also bear in mind that your wedding date will be one that will be celebrated for the rest of your lives — so make sure it’s a date that both of you can observe with no challenges. One example of a challenge would be having multiple events surrounding that same period of time as your wedding (think holidays and birthdays). A not so romantic reality that occurs most often when considering a wedding date will be whether or not your choice of ceremony and or reception venue can accommodate your desired date and time. To avoid having to visit your second, third, or fourth choices of date and time with your venue, make sure to secure it as soon as possible and send in a deposit on time. Most venues will allow you to hold a date or even several dates for a short period of time. However, without a deposit, it is a possibility that the date may be given to another couple who is willing to put money down. Make sure to also check on what is happening around your venue on the same day as your wedding. You want to make sure you avoid any major traffic congestions or any “special” events such as the president visiting or a parade. A bad scenario could be that you show up late to your own wedding, or worse, not at all. Think about including the season that your wedding date falls within as part of your wedding theme. A spring wedding could translate to a lovely and whimsical English country-garden theme featuring watering pail centerpieces filled with daffodils and daisies and accented with crystal dragonflies. Summer and fall weddings can provide for a wonderful fiesta ambiance under a clear-top tent with hanging lanterns and food stations that your guests can visit while they mingle. A winter wedding could include a color theme of silver and light blue and an ice luge holding martinis, flavored vodka, or other libations for your guests. One last important point often overlooked when selecting a wedding date is whether or not the time period is “flower-friendly.” Take the month of May, for example. It has to be the best month to choose for the highly sought after, seasonal, peony flower, and the pleasant weather in May makes this month even more desirable. But May also means Mother’s Day, proms, and graduations, which drive up the cost of flowers and lei. Here in Hawai‘i, pikake is the quintessential wedding lei for brides and grooms, but fragrant jasmine blossoms, like pakalana, favor the summer months. Make sure that the flowers you want for your wedding are actually in season. And when in doubt, ask your wedding coordinator. Coordinators can help you get the information you need to make a decision, be it flower seasonality or venue challenges.

For those of us who do business with tourists, 2008 has already been one of the most challenging years on record. U.S. mainland arrivals have fallen, mainly because of the closing of Aloha and ATA Airlines, and Japanese arrivals are also down. So, who is coming to Hawai‘i? And how do you reach them with your marketing efforts?

CANADA

Tourism from Canada is Hawai‘i’s fastest growing visitor market. In 2007, 288,000 visitors traveled to Hawai‘i from Canada. Canadian travelers are older than the industry average, their wedding/honeymoon market is minimal, and they tend to be repeat visitors. Unfortunately, most people in the tourism retail industry (non-hotel) will tell you that Canadians spend significantly less than any other visitor (see table inset). When marketing to Canadians, no large adjustments are needed if you are marketing to U.S. mainland visitors. Canadians obtain their travel information the same way U.S. mainland visitors do (primarily through free magazines in Waikiki and in-hotel room television).

AUSTRALIA

This is a market that has been growing very quickly since the addition of Qantas’ Jetstar Airlines in 2006 and the increase in available flights from Hawaiian Airlines. Australian travelers tend to be younger than the industry average and book their vacations primarily through tour agents. More than 130,000 Australians visit Hawai‘i each year. Educating the travel trade industry in Australia about your business should be your focus.

SOUTH KOREA

Ready, set, go – this is the market that you should start looking into. On January 1, 2009, getting a visa to visit Hawai‘i from South Korea will be much easier. Right now, about 38,000 Koreans travel to Hawai‘i, but this number could double in one or two years. New Hawai‘i information Web sites and travel publications (the first free Korean-language magazine in Waikiki was launched earlier this year) are current options for marketing to these visitors. CHINA Time is on your side for this market. The Chinese travel market has the potential to be as big as the Japanese market for Hawai‘i, but the turn around is still years away. About 50,000 Chinese visit Hawai‘i each year, but a large majority of them are en route to the U.S. mainland and don’t stay here very long. Instead of focusing on marketing, I’d recommend learning Chinese customs and even the language (focus on Mandarin). This market will be huge for Hawai‘i, but you have a few years to get ready for it. EUROPE The bulk of the arrivals from Europe comes from primarily two countries, the United Kingdom (52,000 arrivals) and Germany (24,000 arrivals). Try contacting Hawai‘i Tourism Europe for marketing opportunities. What is exciting about these emerging tourism markets is that they will continue to grow in the number of arrivals per year. It’s a great time to be in Hawai‘i’s tourism industry as we expand beyond the U.S. mainland and Japan and greet our new international arrivals. But don’t give up on Hawai‘i’s two major markets yet; they still account for more than 85 percent of the arrivals to Hawai‘i. The Japanese and U.S. mainland visitors will always be your primary customers, but it’s great to see the new ones come in. Source: Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism – Research and Economic Analysis Division, 2007 End of Year Data