Kihei and Lahaina among top vacation rental spots

By Erika Engle
Article from: Star-Advertiser

Renowned travel site TripAdvisor has named Kihei and Lahaina, Maui, to its Top Vacation Rental Hot Spot list for 2011.

The list is based on search data and input from site editors.

“Vacation rentals can offer families and groups of travelers significant savings over other accommodation options,” said Hank Hudepohl, director of vacation rentals, in a statement. “Our list shows off some of the best vacation rental destinations in the U.S. where travelers can save big, ranging from prime summer beach spots to areas with first-rate ski resorts.”

Kihei was ranked No. 4, behind Kissimmee, Fla., Big Bear Lake, Calif., and Gatlinburg, Tenn. Destin, Fla., Palm Springs, Calif., and Outer Banks, N.C., ranked fifth, sixth and seventh, followed by No. 8 Lahaina. Hilton Head, S.C., and Cape Cod, Mass., fill out the top 10.

The list cites the number of vacation rentals TripAdvisor lists in each destination as well as the potential savings a family could realize for a weeklong trip.

Despite the high profile of a particular annual vacation rental guest, Kailua, Oahu, is not among TripAdvisor’s top 10. Its site lists only 94 vacation rentals in Kailua and 19 in neighboring Lanikai.

Visitor arrivals up 12% in January, spending up 20%

By Allison Schaefers
Article from: Star-Advertiser

Hawaii achieved its eleventh consecutive month of increased visitor spending and arrivals in January, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

A high-single digit increase from the U.S. East and double-digit arrivals growth from the U.S. West, Japan, Canada and cruise ships helped boost visitor arrivals last month to 597,487, up 12.2 percent from a year ago. Likewise, visitor spending rose to $1.2 billion, a 19.8 percent gain from the prior year. January’s gain represented the 9th consecutive month of double-digit increases in overall spending.

The return of the Pro Bowl coupled with a slight pickup in meetings, convention and incentive traffic were behind the industry rebound, said Mike McCartney, HTA’s president and CEO. Stronger airplane passenger loads and increased flights also contributed, McCartney said.

“We look forward to taking advantage of rebounds in this market, as well as continued growth and interest in Hawaii as a global meetings destination as we draw closer to hosting the 2011 APEC Leaders Summit in November,” he said.

Heavy traffic from Elton John concert anticipated

Article from: The Maui News
February 23, 2011

KAHULUI – The Elton John concert is expected to generate heavy traffic Thursday and Friday when concert-goers converge on the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

Gates to the concert area will open at 6 p.m. Thursday and 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Reserved parking passes for the center’s lot have been sold for $25 each. If extra spaces are available, those will be sold for $25 cash, according to the center.

Parking in the main lot at the University of Hawaii Maui College also has been pre-sold for $15. Parking also will be available on the day of the show for $15 cash at the college’s drive-in field parking lot off Wahinepio Avenue and at Keopuolani Park, which will be closed to the public.

Parking lots will be open at 3 p.m., and spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tax credits could lead to Maui film studio

February 21, 2011 – By ILIMA LOOMIS, Staff Writer
Article from: The Maui News

WAILUKU – A Hollywood production company is proposing to develop film studios on Maui and Oahu – if the state Legislature approves new tax credits for film infrastructure development.

Officials with Relativity Media told lawmakers in Honolulu earlier this month that they hoped to start work on a 31-acre Maui film studio later this year, and an Oahu facility of the same size in 2012. They urged legislators to adopt the proposed tax credits.

Under draft legislation being considered in the House of Representatives, developers could receive a tax credit of 25 percent of their costs for “media infrastructure projects” in Honolulu, or 40 percent for projects in Neighbor Island counties.

“The question is, what is the state getting back? The answer is jobs, jobs and jobs,” said West Maui Rep. Angus McKelvey, who introduced the bill along with Central Maui Rep. Gil Keith-Agaran and Waikiki Rep. Tom Brower.

Lawmakers made changes in the bill to address concerns, including eliminating a proposal to significantly increase tax credits for film production, and adding a provision that would allow the state to reclaim its credits if the film doesn’t go forward, and other taxpayer protections, McKelvey said.

While there was still resistance to approving new tax credits while the state struggles with a budget deficit, he said the proposal had an “excellent” chance of moving forward.

“I’m really going after this, because I see this has a major potential impact to the state of Hawaii,” he said. “But it’s got to be done right.”

House Bill 1551 was passed out of the House Economic Revitalization and Business Committee on Thursday and referred to the House Finance Committee.

A similar proposal is moving forward in the state Senate, although without a specific amount of tax credits attached.

Senate President Shan Tsutsui, who represents Central Maui, said legislators were taking a cautious approach to the proposal.

“I think it’s still early,” he said. “It’s kind of a new concept, and we want to see what the economic impact would be.”

He said he had asked colleagues to allow the bill to move forward to get more information from film studios and from state finance officials about what the tax credits would cost.

“We think this may be a possibility to benefit Maui,” he said. “We’re looking at ways to create jobs, and this might be one of them.”

Senate Bill 1550 has been passed out of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Technology and the Tourism Committee, and referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

In their presentation to the legislators, Relativity Media officials said they hoped to build a 31-acre film studio on Maui, with an additional 10-acre back lot. (They did not provide a specific location on the island for the project.) The studio would include 10 18,000-square-foot stages, along with production and post-production office space. The entire project would have a $193 million production budget, according to the presentation.

A second, identical facility was proposed for Oahu.

In a handout with the company presentation, Relativity Media says it has released 126 films and earned $15.3 billion in worldwide box-office receipts. Films listed include “The Fighter,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Despicable Me,” “Iron Man” and “Hancock.” The company has film studio, television, music, digital media and talent management divisions.

Company officials said they planned to partner with Shangri-La Business Group on construction of the studios.

McKelvey said the proposal was being driven by people in the film industry who wanted to bring their operations to Hawaii. He said many film professionals already live part time in Hawaii, and many would prefer to work here as well, noting that Relativity Media founder Ryan Kavanaugh owns a home on Maui.

“Once the studio’s done, you can do a film from beginning to end in the state of Hawaii without going back to California,” McKelvey said.

The bills pending before state lawmakers also have the support of the administration of Mayor Alan Arakawa, said county spokesman Rod Antone.

“The film-related measures before the Legislature will benefit the entire state of Hawaii if passed by greatly expanding the film industry here,” he said. “It has the potential to put many people back to work and to train many more for well-paid movie and television production positions.

“We know our representatives and senators understand this,” he said.

Visitors climb from Down Under
Arrivals from Australia and New Zealand increased 26.5 percent last year

By Allison Schaefers
Article from: Star-Advertiser

Down Under has turned it into more of an up-and-over market for Hawaii’s visitor industry.

Arrivals to the islands from Australia and New Zealand jumped 26.5 percent last year and are expected to continue to climb, especially after flights are added in April.

“Last year was a record year for Oceania,” said Helen Williams, country manager of Hawaii Tourism Oceania, a contractor for the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “We had the most travelers that we’ve had since carriers switched to more efficient planes and quit stopping in Hawaii to refuel.”

As many as 172,962 visitors from Oceania came to Hawaii in 2010 and spent $341.7 million. That surpassed the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s arrival target by more than 6 percent and surpassed the spending target by more than 3 percent.

“We were really happy with our results and have good reason to believe that they will continue into 2011,” Williams said. “The global financial crisis didn’t have the same impact on Oceania as it did in other parts of the world. Travelers still have jobs, they haven’t lost wages or been furloughed and travel demand is high.”

This year the region is projected to be the fastest-growing major market to Hawaii outside of Korea and China. HTA expects arrivals this year will increase another 8.7 percent to 188,000 visitors while spending will rise another 9.8 percent to $384.6 million as travelers continue to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate and additional flights.

Tim Hutchinson visited Hawaii in 1993 and returned last fall with his wife and children and two other families to take advantage of bargains in the market.

“It’s much cheaper since our dollar is so good,” Hutchinson said.

In October, demand for commodities and high interest rates helped Australia’s dollar hit par with the U.S. dollar for the first time since it was floated in 1983. The Australian dollar has edged out the U.S. dollar several times since then. On Friday it was worth about 98 cents in the U.S.

Honeymooners Daniel and Maxine Viola of Perth, Australia, said the strong Australian dollar allowed them to stay at the luxury Halekulani Hotel and go on adventures at the Polynesian Cultural Center and Kualoa Ranch. They chose Hawaii in part because of how it looked in movies like “Jurassic Park” and “50 First Dates” and in the TV series “Lost.”

“We had a fantastic time,” Maxine Viola said. “We loved being where the films were shot. We loved the beaches, but we also loved learning to hula and exploring the island.”

Many New Zealanders also fell in love with Hawaii last year, and the growth trend looks to be continuing this year, said Darragh Walshe, New Zealand’s country manager for Hawaii Tourism Oceania.

“Demand is high,” Walshe said.

But with just one carrier, Air New Zealand, providing direct service with two flights a week and three in the winter, the biggest challenge remains a lack of passenger seats, he said.

“Air New Zealand will be putting on some additional flights this year to try to cope with demand, but we are working hard to lobby more flights from the market,” Walshe said.

Aussies have benefited from more flights. Their market should increase even more after Hawaiian Airlines increases its nonstop service between Sydney and Honolulu. The carrier will offer daily flights from April 6 to Aug. 1 to meet customer demand during the peak travel season. Starting Aug. 2, Hawaiian will offer nonstop service five days weekly between Sydney and Honolulu. The carrier’s expansion adds 19,000 seats this year.

“We know how much Australian travelers enjoy their holidays in Hawaii, so we are increasing our flight schedule during their favorite time of year to travel,” said Avi Mannis, Hawaiian’s vice president of revenue management and schedule planning. “This gives them greater flexibility in making their plans, and the timing couldn’t be better as Hawaii is a great value for Australians.”

Brisbane natives Jennie Lilliman and her husband, Kevan, couldn’t agree more. The pair are putting the finishing details on a two-week trip to Hawaii in May.

The couple, who have been to Fiji and Southeast Asia, have wanted to visit Hawaii for at least four years, and in that time six couples whom they know have chosen to vacation here.

“I do believe Hawaii is becoming more popular as a holiday destination, probably because of our strong Australian dollar, and also I have noticed more advertising for holiday specials,” Jennie Lilliman said.

The opportunity to sail around the islands on Norwegian Cruise Line’s home-ported Pride of America and spend extra days ashore in Waikiki won out over a holiday in Canada and Alaska, she said.

“For this trip we have combined the cruise with some ‘land’ time in Waikiki, and we are both getting very excited,” Lilliman said.

While the cruise price was comparable to an earlier Southeast Asia cruise they took, she said the hotel rate was higher than offerings from Australian and Southeast Asian hotels.

“We figured just go for it,” she said. “You only live once.”

Sarah Short, who visited Waikiki in 2009 when the Queen Mary 2 docked here, is returning in September to celebrate her mother’s 70th birthday.

Although Short had considered Bali and Thailand as possible trip destinations, the memory of brief time that she spent in Hawaii called her back.

“I had to come back. It’s stunning,” Short said.

While Hawaii has long been a destination favored by Aussies, demand seems to be growing, she said.

“We like the weather, the relaxed atmosphere and friendly people,” Short said.

Although leisure trips have dominated the reasons that Oceania visitors have come to Hawaii, business and incentive travelers are showing more interest, said Michael Murray, Hawaii Visitor and Convention Bureau vice president of sales and marketing for corporate meetings and incentives.

“There is great optimism in terms of the results from last year and the momentum that is building,” Murray said. “We have great accessibility in terms of lift, and the exchange rate is doing very well. These things provide a great platform to nurture relationships and to cultivate new relationships.”

HVCB kicked off a large marketing blitz on Feb. 11 with an Aloha Friday trade show and reception in Sydney. Its efforts were augmented by marketers from the Kauai Visitors Bureau, Oahu Visitors Bureau, Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau, Big Island Visitors Bureau, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Maui, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Waikiki, Waikiki Beach Marriott, Waikiki Edition, Kathy Clarke Hawaii and MC&A Hawaii.

Murray also brought a team of 14 salespeople to Australia earlier this week to sell the islands during the country’s largest annual meetings trade show, the Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Expo. The event, which took place Feb. 14 to 16 in Melbourne, attracted some 2,000 meetings and event-buyers from throughout the Asia-Pacific.

Adele Tasaka, HVCB’s senior director of accounts, said she expects expo will bring a strong response in new business opportunities for Hawaii.

“Australia has historically been a reliable market for Hawaii’s meetings industry, and we’re confident our collective sales efforts this year will produce good results in attracting more group business to Hawaii,” Tasaka said.

Williams said Hawaii marketers at the expo have told her that event inquiries are up 400 percent from last year.