A LO H A
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L E T T E R F RO M T H E P R E S I D E N T
Letter from the President
Welcome to the Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau (HVCB). It is an honor to serve as the President and CEO of an
organization that has been marketing the Hawaiian Islands as a
visitor destination for more than 100 years. The unique qualities of our islands stem from a rich and vibrant culture, inspiring natural beauty, and the spirit of Hawai‘i’s people.
Our amazing HVCB team members, representing their
communities in all four counties, rise and shine every morning thinking about our kuleana to our state, our members, our
neighbors and our guests. We are committed to developing
marketing programs that uphold our values, inspire people to
visit Hawai’i and preserve what makes our communities special. Tourism is woven into the fabric of Hawai‘i’s economy across all
of our communities. As such, it is our privilege to work with HTA and our members, to ensure the continued health of not only
Hawai‘i’s largest income generator, but also its people. Mahalo for your partnership. Aloha,
John Monahan
President and CEO
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MISSION AND VISION
MISSION
To enrich Hawai‘i and its people. VISION
To attract visitors who will leave this place better than when they arrived.
MEMBER PROMISE
Supporting our membership ‘ohana is central in our efforts to achieve our vision and mission. By bringing Hawai‘i’s visitor industry together and providing unique, strategic benefits, we help our members achieve their goals.
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A B O U T H VC B
About HVCB
We are a private non-profit, member-based organization working with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and our
membership ‘ohana to help make tourism work for and
with Hawai‘i.
We’re everywhere tourism intersects with the community, with Island Chapters on the ground in every county and
contacts at every level of government. That gives us a vast amount of knowledge, resources and connections that
we use to empower our membership ‘ohana to research, understand and connect with visitors.
And we are fierce advocates for growing Hawai‘i’s
number one industry sustainably and for the benefit of local communities, perpetuating our state’s wealth of
environmental and cultural resources so future generations can continue to enjoy them.
Ultimately, we are stewards of Hawai‘i’s brand. Not just as the world’s greatest travel destination, but as one of the world’s most precious resources. And we’d love to have you as part of our ‘ohana.
Once you’re part of our membership ‘ohana, we are
committed to providing you with the tools and resources
you need to successfully attract visitors to your respective
businesses; from training, research, market insights, cultural education, travel trade relationships and programs to
branding, publicity and specific tactical marketing programs.
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B E N E F I TS O F H AWA I ‘ I ’ S TO U R I S M EC O N O MY
Hawai‘i’s Tourism Industry Tourism is the largest single source of private capital for Hawai‘i’s economy.
$17.75 billion 10,424,995 visitors came to Hawai‘i
visitor spending
249,000
visitors are on the Hawaiian Islands on any given day
K AUA‘ I
$5.2M/day
O ‘A H U
$22.4/day M AU I C O U N T Y
$14.0M/day
$48.6M average visitor daily spending statewide
$2.07 billion state tax revenue
All data from 2019
I S L A N D O F H AWA I ‘ I
$6.4M/day
1 in 4
people employed by the tourism industry
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Opportunities for Continued Growth
Increased arrivals during shoulder periods: April-May and October-November
Renovations, upgrades to Hawai‘i’s tourism product (hotels, attractions, natural resources)
Increased distribution of visitors to the neighbor islands
HOW TOURISM IMPACTS EVERYONE THROUGH TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX (TAT) COLLECTIONS Fiscal Year 2019 TAT Distrubution ($M)
$79.0
GENERAL FUND
$16.5
TOURISM SPECIAL FUND CONVENTION CENTER ENTERPRISE SPECIAL FUND
$103.0
$340.0
COUNTIES DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
$57.4
TURTLE BAY CONSERVATION EASEMENT FUND MASS TRANSIT SPECIAL FUND
The TAT Rate was increased to 10.25%, effective January 1, 2018. Tax revenues generated to be allocated to the Mass Transit Special Fund.
$3.0 $1.5
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What can we do for you?
W H AT C A N W E D O FO R YO U ?
Our history is long and storied, dating back to the dawn of the 20th century when the promotion of travel to the Hawaiian Islands was in its infancy. But what’s most important is not
what we’ve done, it’s what we can do for you as a partner in
marketing your organization to travelers. You can learn a little
bit about our departments below, but we hope you get to know them and rely on their expertise to help your organization meet its goals.
Membership, a community of more than 1,400 businesses and supporters like you, collaborates to actively shape Hawai‘i’s
future. We provide unique tools, opportunities and connections that help our members succeed.
Travel Trade is your link to the travel agent community. Our
agents.gohawaii.com agent site is a comprehensive resource for advisors to earn their Hawai‘i Destination Specialist and
Island Specialist certifications, access collateral, photography, maps, itineraries and more. The travel trade team shares all-
island updates, destination information and training via trade shows and live workshops for advisors across the U.S.
Meet Hawai‘i, the groups division of HVCB, is the face of
Hawai‘i for attracting Meetings, Conventions and Incentives
(MCI) to our state. We are the point of contact for professional meeting and event planners from a myriad of organizations.
Our mission is to make it easy for planners to succeed in doing business on any island in the aloha state and support them in
creating a rewarding program that satisfies all their objectives. You can find us at meethawaii.com.
Media offers press releases, story ideas, image assets and
connections to help you generate statewide and individual
island content, as well as opportunities for increased exposure in collaboration with media professionals working on feature stories about Hawai‘i.
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Marketing utilizes our expertise in public relations, digital, social, search, content development, web development,
collateral, and cooperative marketing, in consultation with
each of our departments, our Island Chapters and our agency and industry partners. We develop and deliver the Hawaiian Islands statewide and island-specific brands to visitors,
content developers, travel sellers and meeting planners. The
materials are then served up to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority global marketing team members to deliver brand messaging consistently across the globe.
Market Insights analyzes consumer, economic, aviation,
leisure travel and meetings and convention trends affecting travel to Hawai‘i for the needs of our members as well as
HVCB’s own marketing efforts. We produce regular reports on air travel as well as the monthly Market Insights Update
highlighting travel industry trends and their impact on Hawai‘i’s performance as a destination.
Cultural and Product Development is your connection to
authentically representing Hawai‘i. Beneath the breathtaking
beauty of these islands, at the core of the destination’s appeal, are the values, culture and language of the indigenous people. Access our members-only cultural services to make sure your organization is aligned with Hawai‘i’s truly unique point of differentiation.
Island Chapters steward each individual island brand, with resources you can rely on in each county – including Travel
Planner Guides and Island Maps that can put your organization in front of visitors – as well as national and global media reach.
JOIN TODAY! 808.923.1811 membership@hvcb.org hvcb.org/join
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T E ST I M O N I A L S
“HVCB is without a doubt the best investment!” Testimonials from members like you
“I have had the privilege of being a member of HVCB for well
over 30 years. The current and future information I have gained from my membership has been professionally instrumental to
my career. The hotel lodging and tourism business has certainly become more complex over the last few decades. We must be aware of what motivates our customers to “Buy Hawai‘i” and
turn dreams into bookings. HVCB has been a unique resource
to help provide the marketing savvy that brings people to our islands and ensures them a reason to return time and time
again. I am proud to be a member and chairperson of this great
organization. Thank you to the entire team at HVCB that works tirelessly to showcase the Hawaiian Islands that we share proudly with the rest of the world.” Jerry Gibson, Vice President Turtle Bay Resort
“HVCB has helped me foster my professional network. A great
resource for career development, current and important issues
within the association, and the larger business community. As a hotelier, HVCB is without a doubt the best investment!” Josephine Tedrowe
Coconut Waikīkī Hotel & Shoreline Hotel Waikīkī
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“The HVCB plays an integral role in not only ensuring the success
“I just can’t say enough about
sharing Hawai‘i’s message of aloha around the world. As we all
(KVB) and how their services
of our state’s number one industry and economy, but also in
work together to welcome our guests to Hawai‘i in a responsible and mindful way, the HVCB will continue to be a key partner in
instilling a deeper understanding and appreciation of our islands’ unique culture, places and people through their innovative
programs. We’re proud to be an HVCB member and encourage all organizations that are connected to Hawai‘i tourism to join us!” Daniel Chun
Alaska Airlines
the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau have benefited us. Truly
dedicated professionals, their
hearts are full of genuine aloha especially when it comes to
the well-being of our islands. How to stay prepared for
hurricane season, organizing a FAM tour, attending their many well-organized and
informative social media, “HVCB is vitally important to its members, the visitor industry
strategy and market insight
to market analysis and research, its creativity and effective
membership services… our
strengthening the brand and creating demand to travel to these
co-op opportunities are
and all the people of Hawai‘i. Through its disciplined approach
meetings, utilizing our
use of resources, HVCB has continued to serve all of Hawai‘i by
membership benefits and
beautiful islands.”
invaluable. To grow your
John Morgan, President and Chief Executive Officer
something special, you’ll
Kualoa Ranch
business and be a part of definitely want to become a member of the KVB.” Cindy Kauanui
Holo Holo Charters
We’d love to have you as part of our ‘ohana.