by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 5:50 PM ET, Thu May 25, 2023
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) has awarded three contracts for various elements of the destination’s management including destination stewardship, visitor education, and brand management.
The contract for visitor education, worth more than $27 million, was awarded to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and will include a 2.5 year term. Work on that contract is slated to begin June 20 and will include such tasks as post-arrival visitor education, administrative support for HTA community programs, technical assistance, and capacity building for community organizations and local businesses.
The more than $38.3 million brand management and marketing services contract for the U.S. market was awarded to the Hawaiʻi Visitors & Convention Bureau. U.S.-based travelers are Hawaii’s largest source market, the HTA said in a statement. In 2022, visitors from the United States spent $16.2 billion exploring Hawaiʻi or an average of $231 per day.
This contract will include providing pre-arrival communications focused on education regarding “safe, respectful, and mindful travel.” Work on the contract will kick-off June 22 and last for 2.5 years.
Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo Credit: marchello74 / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Canadian Market Contract
The flurry of contract awards also included destination and brand management and marketing services for the Canadian market. Similar to the just-awarded U.S. brand management and marketing contract, the work will involve educating Canadian travelers about visiting Hawaiʻi " mindfully and respectfully while supporting Hawai‘i’s communities."
This contract also calls for an increased emphasis on visitor spending at Hawai‘i-based businesses as a means to support a healthy economy, and promoting festivals and events, agritourism programs, and voluntourism activities.
In 2022, visitors from Canada spent $928.2 million in Hawaiʻi, an average $188 per visitor per day.
VoX International was awarded this contract, which is valued at more than $2.4 million. It too has a 2.5 year term and will kick-off at at the end of June.
The work of all contractors must advance a regenerative model of tourism for Hawai’i, the HTA said in its statement. And performance on this issue will be measured against the HTA’s key performance indicators.
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