The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has tapped the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) to continue providing leisure tourism destination marketing management for the North America market and AVIAREPS Tourism GmbH to provide marketing destination representation for the Western Europe market. The selections were announced after a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process. The contracts will commence on Jan. 1, 2013, and end on Dec. 31, 2014. The HTA has the option of extending the terms for three one-year periods from Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2017.

The HVCB is a separate, nonprofit organization that the HTA contracts with, explained David Uchiyama, the HTA’s vice president of brand management. The HVCB has to go through bidding process like any organization for the HTA’s other markets. But the HVCB’s sole purpose is to market Hawaii, while representatives for other markets also provide services other destinations.

“What’s different about the America/Canada contract is that it requires exclusivity to the destination,” Uchiyama said. “For all intents and purposes, the HVCB has been built to represent Hawaii specifically. And because of their deployment of staff across the U.S and the island chapters, they were the most ideal to represent Hawaii. They are structured to serve Hawaii, so they are in a very good position to get their RFP re-awarded to them.

But as a state organization, the HTA has must conduct the RFP process. “We have an obligation to the taxpayer to ensure that the vendors we are using are the most effective for the needs and the representation of the destination,” he said.

The HTA contracts require the awardees to provide fixed-price, pre-visit destination marketing services to drive visitation and revenues for the state of Hawaii and exceed established visitor related targets on a calendar-year basis, according to the HTA. Based in Honolulu, the HVCB will be responsible for deployment and management of an integrated annual tourism marketing program, managing and coordinating with its island chapter partners operating from Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island to fulfill the HTA contract requirements.

AVIAREPS Tourism GmbH, which has offices in Munich and London, will be responsible for providing the HTA with marketing representation services for Western Europe.

Among other functions, the HTA sets tourism policy and direction; develops and implements the state’s tourism strategic and brand management plans; manages programs and activities to sustain a healthy tourism economy, including maintaining sufficient air and cruise access; promotes leisure and business travel globally; manages the Hawaii Convention Center; and coordinates tourism-related research, planning, promotional, experiential and outreach activities across the state. The HTA also serves as a bridge linking government and private sectors, the visitor industry, visitors and island communities.