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Mufi Hannemann: A Candid Talk Story

Scott Foster
Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is one of the most recognizable politicians and business leaders in the islands. As a political observer and writer in Hawaii for 35-years, when the opportunity presented itself to sit across a dinner table for two hours with Mufi to talk story, I was ready. Hannemann was the guest speaker at the November 13, 2019, Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association (HTWA) dinner meeting. HTWA is a relatively... Read More
Hawaii Tourism News kamaainas 

Hawaii Tourism Nearing Tipping Point?

Scott Foster
The guest speaker at the August 13th, 2019, Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association (HTWA) meeting was Hawai‘i travel industry professional, Frank Haas. Frank had been the wholesale business organization's guest speaker nearly a year ago when things at the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) were truly grim. His current message, "It’s been a year … what’s changed … what’s new?" was a little more optimistic because there have indeed been some significant HTA... Read More
Global news for Hawaii 

HAWAII TOURISM AT A MAJOR CROSSROADS

Scott Foster
For many years, in addition to our international travel news coverage, eTurboNews has carefully followed tourism in our home state of Hawaii and has published a series of articles critical of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) which are archived HERE. With the recent very positive HTA board and leadership changes, HTA and their small staff now need all of the professional guidance and support they can get in order to even... Read More
Global news for Hawaii kamaainas 

US-China Trade Policy Negotiation Report “Scary”

Scott Foster
The guest speaker at the February 13, 2019, Hawaii Tourism Association’s dinner meeting in Honolulu was David F. Day, Esq., Senior International Lawyer and Chairman, Global Risk Mitigation Foundation. Read more about Mr. Day below. The subject was the ongoing trade negotiations with China and the current and future impacts of this very complicated and “scary” issue. Day pointed out that the media is not understanding the important nuance of the... Read More
kamaainas Hawaii Tourism News 

Hawaii Tourism Authority In Transition: Growth Down, but Not Out

Scott Foster
Hawaii Travel and Tourism's future is on questionable grounds. The visitor's industry in the U.S. State of Hawaii is the number one industry and is banking on the Aloha Spirit to make Hawaii this special place in the world. Because of the looming local and national elections and the many recent dramatic international and local events (two near-miss Hawaii hurricanes, major flooding and the Hawaii Island Kilauea volcano eruptions), many important... Read More
Global news for Hawaii Hawaii Tourism News kamaainas 

Hawaii Governors Candidate Addresses Prominent Business Organization

Scott Foster
Representative Andria Tupola was the guest speaker at the October, 2018, meeting of the Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association (HTWA). The group’s interest in hearing the Republican candidate for Governor speak in person was to learn more about her positions on several issues particularly important to the tourism industry. These include her willingness to work towards amending the “ship-build” part of the Jones Act and, in this era of overtourism, repositioning the... Read More
Global news for Hawaii Hawaii Tourism News kamaainas 

More of The Same For Hawaii Tourism?

Scott Foster
Noted local economist Dr. Paul Brewbaker was the guest speaker at the August, 2018, Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association meeting. A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Hawaii, Brewbaker is the Principal of TZ Economics, a Hawaii economics consultancy. His background in research on the Hawaii economy and financial risk analytics stems from a 25-year affiliation with Bank of Hawaii, concluding as its Chief Economist. The Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association... Read More
Global news for Hawaii Hawaii Tourism News kamaainas 

A New Direction For Hawaii Tourism Management?

Scott Foster
The morning before the February 28, 2018, joint House & Senate Tourism Committee informational briefing on the 2018 state audit of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the Honolulu Star-Advertiser headline read, “State Auditor Clasts HTA For Lax Oversight and Accountability.” The revealing and often combative legislative briefing lasted for over two hours. eTurboNews originally reported the story HERE Although the HTA later faced a potentially draconian cut to their $85+ million annual... Read More
Global news for Hawaii kamaainas 

Jones Act Back In The National News

Scott Foster
The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, DC which was founded as the Charles Koch Foundation in 1974. Cato was established to have a focus on public advocacy, media exposure and societal influence. According to the 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report (Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania), Cato is number 15 in the "Top Think Tanks Worldwide" and number 10... Read More
Hawaii overtourism Global news for Hawaii kamaainas 

Hawaii overtourism: The reality

Scott Foster
Frank Haas is the President of Marketing Management, a consultancy focused on travel and tourism in Hawaii and internationally. Haas is the former Dean and currently lectures at Kapi‘olani Community College’s Hospitality program. His experience includes executive positions in higher education, tourism and hospitality, food service, advertising, and high technology. Haas served as Vice President and Director of Marketing for the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and was responsible for $50 million... Read More
Global news for Hawaii kamaainas 

Hawaii Tourism Journalist Presented Revealing Data During June Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association Event

Scott Foster
UPDATED 6/27/2018 Honolulu Star-Advertiser Waikiki Bureau Chief Allison Schaefers’ June 13th, 2018, presentation to the Hawaii Tourism Wholesalers Association (HTWA) was entitled, “You've got the crumbs, they've got the bread: More than 70 percent of daily visitor spending goes to hotels, transportation and food.” Schaefers has covered Hawaii tourism for more than a decade and was a staff writer for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Florida and has written for the... Read More
kamaainas 

Is the Hawaii Convention Center Profitable?

Scott Foster
Hawaii’s beautiful State Convention Center was officially dedicated on October 15, 1997, after many years of debate and political intrigue. At the time, I was on Governor Ben Cayetano’s staff helping to advance the project in the midst of a major economic downturn when the location was finally selected and the land purchase took place. Comparing it to Central Park in New York City, the visionary Governor Cayetano proposed that the... Read More
kamaainas Hawaii Tourism News 

Hyatt Regency Waikiki To Honor The Golden Voice of Hawaii, Alfred Apaka

Scott Foster
  HONOLULU, HAWAI`I: MAY 21, 2018 – A free event honoring the musical legacy and memory of “The Golden Voice of Hawai`i” Alfred Aholo Apaka will be presented from 7:00-8:00 PM on Saturday, May 26, 2018 in the ground floor Pualeilani Atrium at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki hotel. Located at 2424 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii, the event is sponsored by the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, the Hawaiian... Read More
Hawaii Taxes kamaainas 

What is A Resort Fee and Why Should Hawaii Residents Care?

Scott Foster
HAWAII: May 15, 2018 -The year was 2016. Hawaii hotels had begun adding a Resort Fee to their guest’s final bills.  An article entitled:" The big Hawaii hotel conspiracy, tax evasion", was reported by eTurboNews in August 2016 The author of this article was Juergen Steinmetz, a 40-year international tourism industry veteran, and publisher of eTurboNews. Steinmetz first began investigating the Hawaii Resort Fee by attempting to talk with local and national... Read More
Global news for Hawaii 

Hawaii Island: New Eruption breaks out in the east rift zone in lower Puna

Scott Foster
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has announced that fissure 16 is venting lava spatter about a mile below the Puna Geothermal Plant, a mile west of Highway 132. No lava flow has yet occurred. Highway 132 (Pahoa-Kapoho Road) remains open and no buildings are in danger from the latest fissure. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the 16th fissure with lava spatter opened east of the Puna Geothermal Plant and Northeast of the... Read More