Hawaii Is America’s No. 1 Choice by Vacationers

Record numbers of tourists, the majority of them Californians, are expected to visit Hawaii this year, making it America’s hottest vacation spot.

“We had 4.7 million visitors in ‘85,” said Stanley Hong, president of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. “And we expect a growth of 3% to 5% to over 5 million in ’86.”

In a poll of 519 travel agents conducted by New York-based Travel Trade magazine in December and January, 80% chose Hawaii as 1986’s leading vacation destination. Similarly, a USA Today and TV’s “PM Magazine” poll of 805 randomly selected American adults found the Aloha State to be the No. 1 choice.

Other “hot sell” vacations in 1986, according to the Travel Trade poll, are cruises, the Caribbean, the United States mainland and Alaska, in that order.

California to Benefit

Travel agents surveyed in the magazine poll responded that the United States and Alaska, due in part to interest in Expo 86, are on the brink of the best tourism year in the last 10 years. California is also expected to benefit.

“I think that Hawaii has always been a popular travel destination,” Hong said. “From a domestic point of view, it is part of the United States and Americans feel comfortable here. But it is also in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a multiracial and ethnic population. It has the reputation of being exotic.”

According to Hong, “The market is broken down 65% from the U.S. mainland, 35% international visitors. Domestically, California is our largest single market with over 1 million annually.

“Of the international visitors, the Japanese represent our second largest group--almost 17% of the total market,” Hong said.

Added Bob Cotter, senior vice president and divisional director of marketing for Sheraton Hotels Hawaii-Japan: “Last year just under 1 million Japanese visited. Australia and Canada are strong markets as well and we’re seeing an increase again in our business from Europe. The major markets there are Germany, Great Britain and Italy.”

Destination Waikiki

Among Hawaii’s haute spots, Waikiki appears to be the “hautest.”

“It’s our largest destination resort with about 30,000 hotel rooms,” Hong said. “Maui is also very popular. Last year alone close to 2 million visited Maui.”

But all areas are doing well, Cotter noted. “The most interesting increase has been in Kauai, up 17% in January from a year ago, according to Hawaii Visitors Bureau statistics. Our numbers at three hotels bear this out.”

The Big Island of Hawaii is another hot seller, he said.

For tourists wanting an alternative to the more popular choices, Cotter said: “The island of Molokai is doing extremely well this year. Yet it is still not as popular as the other islands.”

A number of other factors have contributed to the rise in popularity of Hawaii as a travel destination, according to Hong. “The American dollar, which has declined internationally, has helped to keep Americans home rather than traveling abroad,” he said.

‘Peaceful, Secure Place’

“International instability is making places like Hawaii, which is a tranquil, peaceful, secure place, more popular,” Hong said. “And the tremendous discount air fares and packages being offered to the public are further incentives.”

Michael Flatow, vice president of marketing and sales, American Express Vacations Hawaii, echoed Hong’s sentiments: “With air fares as low as $299 with hotel and air for a week from the West Coast, it is a very price-competitive market.”

Gordon Hentschel, vice president and managing director of Hyatt Hotels Hawaii and president of the Waikiki Beach Operators Assn., offered some other reasons for Hawaii’s popularity.

“One is the emergence of the mega-hotel or grand hotel geared to the international market,” Hentschel said, citing as examples the Hyatt Regency Maui, and the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.

The increased interest may partly be a response to promotional efforts by organizations such as the Maui Visitors Bureau and the Waikiki Beach Operators Assn. “These are starting to make an impact through marketing around the world,” he said.

No Language Problem

Hawaii has some built-in pluses too, he said. “The currency is the same as in the United States. Inflation factors and exchange rates are not an issue. The language problem doesn’t exist, and there is the consistency of the weather,” Hentschel said.

In December the U.S. Travel Data Center forecast an overall increase of 5% for travel in 1986.

Hotel occupancy in the continental United States will rise from 67.8% in 1984 to a predicted 71.5% this year, according to a study by the statewide offices of Pannell Kerr Forster, certified public accountants.

Travel within the United States is being further enhanced by lower gas prices and special events such New York’s Statue of Liberty events and yearlong sesquicentennial celebrations in Texas and Arkansas.

While the 50th state may be hot, the 49th state is far from being cold. “We’ve been averaging a 5% to 10% increase in visitors each year for the past decade,” said Don Dickey, director of the Alaska Division of Tourism. “Last year we had a 14.5% increase. This year we think we’ll match or exceed that.

“Cruise ships are bringing lots of new visitors. Last year at the capital city of Juneau, population 29,000, some 141,000 were hosted in a 4 1/2-month period from May to September,” Dickey said.

Added Cruise Capacity

“This year, due to the unrest in the Middle East, the cruise lines have added 25,000 more carrying capacity, for about 160,000-plus people expected just on cruise ships. And that’s only 33% of our visitors. About half come by air.

“Our national parks have been and will continue to be popular. People want to see Mt. McKinley, Glacier Bay National Park, the Misty Fiords,” he said. “Without exception, the scenic attractions and wildlife still are the major draws. The people and the culture seem to be bonuses that surprise visitors.

“America has finally discovered Alaska. The West Coast represents about half of the total tourists. California is No. 1. We had 740,000 visitors last year.”

Dickey said other factors working in Alaska’s favor this year include “the dollar’s return to reality” and Expo 86 in Vancouver. A promotion is under way to encourage people to continue on to Alaska after taking in Expo.

Andre Pascal, consul and trade commissioner for the Canadian Consulate General’s office in Los Angeles, expects Expo 86 to be a major draw.

“Seventy-five percent of the total admission tickets for Expo have already been sold,” he said. “Hotels are pretty well booked for May, but space is available in June, July and August.

“The Inside Passage and the whole province of British Columbia will benefit by Expo, as well as the nearby province of Alberta, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

“Canada is being perceived as a desirable destination by Americans. We’re friendly, close, safe, and we speak the same language,” Pascal said.

California’s Hopes

Closer to home, California is hoping to benefit from the domestic travel boom.

“We hope that people who might be traveling to the Pacific Northwest to go to Expo 86 will incorporate a drive through California,” said Tiffany Bousseloub, senior tourism specialist for the California Office of Tourism.

“For us, the most encouraging development is the decline in gas prices. I expect the lower gas prices will bring in more people from the Western states,” Bousseloub said. “It will also encourage more Californians to travel within our state. California is already its own best market.

“What California offers is diversity. People don’t come for one single reason. We’re not just sunny beaches and theme parks. People come to visits our cities, enjoy the attractions and cultural facilities, drink the wine and visit friends and relatives,” Bousseloub said.