The Bridge Marquee at Sydney’s Pier One held a gathering of travel professionals on Tuesday 12 September 2023 hosted by Hawaiian hospitality and tourism operators. The Hawaiian Islands lunch, organised by Hawai’i Tourism Oceania, showcased operators such as Castle Resorts and Hotels, Marriott International, Hawaiian Airlines, Battleship Missouri Memorial, Outrigger Resorts and Hotels, Aqua Aston, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Hilton. Anna Riedel, PR Executive at The Walshe Group, opened the event with some key messaging from Hawaii: how the industry can support Maui’s wildfire recovery, and the key tourism themes of 2023.
Supporting Maui
The event highlighted ways in which the tourism sector can support Maui’s recovery from the devastating wildfires. A call to prioritise Maui as a travel destination was sounded, emphasising the positive economic impact supporting local businesses and communities across the islands can have. Furthermore, geographic clarity was provided on affected areas.
Lahaina is just one part of West Maui, and locations such as Kahului, Wailuku, Hana, Wailea, Makawao, Haleakalā and Kīhei remain open and ready for visitors. The event also encouraged donations to Maui Strong Hawaii Community Foundation.
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Key themes: connection, culture and culinary
Encouraging visitors to build deeper connections with the Hawaiian Islands is a core objective for Hawaii Tourism Oceania, focusing on strengthening the relationships between people and place through educational and enriching land, ocean and cultural experiences.
The concept of Mālama (giving back to nature) underpins the ‘connection’ theme, which is further upheld by the emergence of sustainable and responsible practices across the islands’ hospitality and tourism sector.
The ‘culture’ theme celebrates Hawaii’s traditions, history and culture through the promotion of specific festivals and events that showcase Hawaiian culture and encourage visitors to shop from local makers and producers.
Hawaii Tourism Oceania reports food and drink as a leading emerging travel trend post-covid, that travellers are seeking culinary adventures that facilitate the exploration of authentic ingredients, flavours, local dishes and drinks. As such, Hawaii Regional Cuisine, farmer’s markets, and Hawaii Food & Wine Festival are key focus areas, accompanied by art and music drawcards.
