Last year, Hawaii’s postcard-perfect beaches, active volcanoes and sky-high mountain peaks welcomed more than 9.6 million visitors, according to the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. Travelers to the archipelago spent a total of $21.75 billion, a 5.7% increase from total visitor spending in 2024.
Needless to say, Hawaii remains a bucket-list destination for travelers from far-reaching corners of the world. Selling Hawaii, however, isn’t always so clearcut. Six major islands, hundreds of resorts and endless activities can make booking Hawaii –– and matching clients to the islands, accommodations and operators best suited to their individual needs –– feel like untangling a convoluted web.
Rebecca Schwinn, founder of Keys to Hawaii, is on a mission to make curating Hawaii trips less intimidating.
A One-Stop Resource to the Islands
Launched in 2023, Keys to Hawaii is a membership service that provides travel advisors with comprehensive resources and tools designed to simplify booking Hawaii vacations. For $169 per year –– or “one plate lunch a month, as we say in Hawaii,” Schwinn notes –– advisors are given access to ever-evolving guides catered to each of the six main islands.
Keys to Hawaii founder Rebecca Schwinn provides travel advisors with vetted guides, resort contacts, hotel recommendations and more.
Credit: 2026 Rebecca Schwinn
If clients are interested in visiting Oahu, for example, advisors can navigate to the Oahu folder when logged onto the Keys to Hawaii website. There, they’ll find myriad resources, including resort guides (and key contacts), restaurant guides and activity suggestions, including ticketing and reservation information. Want to know the most popular luaus and hikes in the destination? That’s there, too. Advisors will also find criteria to help determine whether the island is a good fit for their clients.
Each island also has a dedicated resorts page, where Schwinn provides need-to-know construction and renovation announcements. Here, members are also directed to the subscriber-only Google Drive, where they have access to Schwinn’s very own site inspection reports and photos from several Hawaii hotels and resorts.
Schwinn’s hotel filter tool is helpful, too. Launched this May, the tool allows advisors to filter resorts based on usual metrics, such as location, number of nights, room type, preferred views and amenities.
But what makes this tool especially valuable is Schwinn’s added layer of recommendations. The founder only features properties that have earned a three-star rating or higher. Additionally, she flags properties as “caution advised” when they are hotels she wouldn’t necessarily sell herself.
“The goal is for [advisors] to feel confident when they use [Keys to Hawaii],” Schwinn said. “I continually add to [the site] so it doesn’t get stale. It’s not like old resources that are outdated. [Keys to Hawaii] is current and vetted so advisors know they can trust it.”
The goal is for [advisors] to feel confident when they use [Keys to Hawaii].
Soon, Keys to Hawaii will feature an AI-powered “Help Me Choose” function. Similar to tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, the new feature will allow advisors to type in their hotel criteria and receive custom recommendations.
Schwinn’s recommendations aren’t limited to one type of traveler, either. From more affordable options to luxury resorts, fine dining and contacts for high-end tour operators, the founder ensures advisors have everything they need in one place.
Vetted by a Hawaii Expert
Though Schwinn is now based in Florida, she was a Hawaii resident for 10 years and still travels to the archipelago frequently. She prides herself on the idea that her guides include invaluable knowledge only a local or frequent visitor could impart. In fact, her guides are so thorough that they even include drive times between popular destinations –– a key metric that can help advisors when building itineraries.
In addition to her extensive time living in and visiting Hawaii, Schwinn –– who also owns the travel agency Wanderland Escapes –– is also a Hawaii Destination Specialist. Certified by Go Hawaii, Schwinn recommends all advisors complete the certification program.
“Keys to Hawaii membership is not meant to replace certification at all,” Schwinn said. “I see it as a supplement to certification. Go Hawaii does a great job of giving [advisors] a strong foundation to learn the islands and some of the culture. My membership takes it a step further and helps [advisors] with the nuances and ins and outs of doing this with clients, the questions we get and a deeper understanding of the islands and activities.”
Schwinn offered TravelAge West a sample of her expertise with a handful of her top recommendations on the islands.
“If [clients] are staying on Kauai, a helicopter tour of the Napali Coast, absolutely,” she said.
On Oahu, Pearl Harbor is a must.
“Everybody wants to go to Pearl Harbor," Schwinn said. “People will do a one- or two-night stay on Oahu just for it.”
The Kualoa Ranch movie tour is another of the expert’s favorite activities on the island.
Advisors on Schwinn's fam trips connect with a number of resources and contacts on the islands.
Credit: 2026 Rebecca SchwinnClients visiting Maui should consider making time for Road to Hana.
“I recommend that people take a tour rather than doing it on their own, because that road can be pretty treacherous for people who aren’t used to it,” she said.
Sunrise or sunset at Haleakala and Molokini snorkel tours are other Maui must-dos.
And on Hawaii Island, night swims with manta rays, zip lining and visiting Volcanoes National Park are highly recommended.
Regardless of the islands clients choose to visit, Schwinn suggests that travelers consider joining cultural classes, too. Many are springing up at Hawaiian resorts, she says.
“In the last couple of years, a lot more resorts have started doing cultural centers on property,” she said. “They offer things like lei making, learning the ukulele and teaching cultural stories.”
Building a Community of Advisors
Additionally, Schwinn says that Keys to Hawaii has created a community of advisors within the industry. All Keys to Hawaii members get access to a private Facebook group where the founder hosts webinars. Schwinn also runs a second Facebook group called The Islands of Hawaii for Travel Advisors. This group is open to all advisors –– Keys to Hawaii membership not required. Schwinn vets advisors carefully to ensure the online community remains a safe, open space for everyone to ask questions and share information.
In fact, Schwinn’s own personal advisor community inspired and helped her build Keys to Hawaii into what it is today. Schwinn was inspired and mentored by Mexperts founder Lori Gold. Tabitha Denny of Gale Force Travel also helped Schwinn collect data for Keys to Hawaii’s hotel filter tool.
Hawaii Fam Trips
Fam trips are yet another way Schwinn helps advisors become Hawaii experts. Schwinn’s fam trips are intimate, with just four or five advisors, and they are typically 10 days long. Attendees benefit from site inspections, occasional hosted meals at resorts, sightseeing, local restaurant visits and more. Schwinn ensures every trip includes stops at two Hawaiian islands.
The luau at Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa was one of many experiences on Schwinn's October 2025 fam.
Credit: 2026 Rebecca SchwinnCurrently, Schwinn has her sights set on January or April/May 2027 for her next fam.
Keys to Hawaii and Respectful Tourism
Beyond empowering advisors with the knowledge and tools they need to confidently sell Hawaii, Schwinn also reinforces the message of traveling respectfully. To that end, she provides advisors with a number of resources, including a responsible wildlife viewing cheat sheet and a “Traveling Pono” guide that outlines respectful tourism practices and warns advisors about popular-but-illegal activities clients should stay away from. For example, it’s illegal to hike Stairway to Heaven in Oahu, and doing so constitutes trespassing.
“I really push respectful tourism,” she said. “Be kind and be respectful. If [travelers] are kind and slow down to the pace of life in Hawaii, they’re going to be much more welcome than if they try to bring the mainland there.”
