On March 30, TravelAge West presented “Traveling to Hawaii Now,” a webinar focused on travel to the islands. Moderated by TravelAge West Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Shapiro, the presentation featured Leimomi Hall, director of sales, North America for Hawaiian Airlines; Emma Goeldner, senior sales executive, North America – International for Hawaiian Airlines; Tiffany Rosenthal, sales manager for the Kaanapali Beach Hotel; and Shane Nelson, contributing writer and Hawaii destination expert for TravelAge West.
More than 1,200 travel advisors registered for the webinar, which examined key topics including health protocols and requirements in Hawaii; the current visitor experience; an update on air service and resorts; and more.
One of the topics of most interest to attendees was the travel requirements currently in place for visiting the islands. Nelson, who has written extensively on the subject, shared what he knew about the existing regulations, as well as what advisors might anticipate going forward. He also suggested that advisors monitor www.hawaiicovid19.com/travel for the most up-to-date testing information.
“Hawaii is working on a vaccine passport program — there is some talk about starting that in May, but that is not a firm date,” Nelson said. “The governor has been talking about possibly starting it over the summer. All we know is that Hawaii is working on a program, but when that will be up and running is unknown at this time.”
Hall and Goeldner shared what Hawaiian Airlines has been doing to keep passengers safe — including its COVID-19 testing protocols and its Pre-Clear program that allows visitors to show they meet some health regulations in advance — as well as its flight change flexibility. They also provided information on new service, including flights from Phoenix; Austin, Tex.; Orlando, Fla.; and Long Beach and Ontario, Calif. And finally, they announced that the airline is welcoming the addition of 787 Dreamliners to its fleet.
“Last year was a difficult one for so many people in the industry, including Hawaii Airlines, with constant changes and updates,” Goeldner said. “But I am very excited to say that we are now back in all 13 of our U.S. cities, as well as adding new destinations.”
Webinar guests included representatives from Hawaiian Airlines and Kaanapali Beach Hotel, as well as a destination expert.
Credit: 2021 TravelAge West
Rosenthal talked about health protocols at Kaanapali Beach Hotel, on Maui, and provided highlights of the recent extensive renovation at the property. The $75 million update included guestrooms, a new oceanfront restaurant, an upcoming sailing academy and more. Plus, despite the renovation, Rosenthal said the hotel is keeping its policy of not charging resort fees.
“Kaanapali Beach Hotel has welcomed many guests over the years to ‘Hawaii’s Most Hawaiian Hotel,’ as we’re known,” Rosenthal said. “But since the renovation, the feedback from new and return guests has been phenomenal.”
All of the panelists agreed that Hawaii is experiencing a significant increase in visitors over the past few weeks — a signal of what may be coming for the islands as we emerge from the pandemic.
“A lot of the advisors I’ve talked to are not just getting inquiries, but they are making bookings for summer and fall in particular,” Nelson said. “A lot of people are saying Hawaii is booming or Hawaii is skyrocketing — so much so that advisors need to be aware of availability issues. I think there is a lot of interest and pent-up demand.
Rosenthal confirmed that she is already seeing the increase on Maui.
“There’s a big difference here on Maui from what we experienced last year,” she said. “We’re starting to see many more visitors, which is really exciting, especially because we can see the visitors are excited to be here, as well.”
Click here to listen to a recording of the webinar.
