Q: Your marketing tag line is Hawaii’s Most Enticing Island. How
did you come up with that?
A: Previously, the line read Hawaii’s Most Exclusive Island. Travel
agents told us that it wasn’t a very user-friendly phrase because
it didn’t welcome the visitor. In 2004, I sat down with our board
of directors and we decided that the best word for Lanai is
enticing.
Q: Why is it enticing?
A: We entice our visitors with our rural lifestyle, two luxurious
resorts, one significantly historical hotel, abundance of
activities and aloha spirit.
Q: What type of clients are best suited for visiting
Lanai?
A: Lanai appeals to people who want to take a vacation from their
vacation, whether they’re romance travelers, golf enthusiasts,
families, eco-adventurers or adventure travelers. It’s also great
for small, intimate groups.
Q: What advice can you give travel agents to help them sell
Lanai to their clients?
A: Tell your clients there are two ways to visit Lanai. By air from
Honolulu, it takes just 30 minutes to get here. By sea from
Lahaina, Maui, a 45-minute Expeditions ferry ride costs just $25
per person per way, and Expeditions offers agent commissions on day
packages to Lanai.
Q: Now that your two luxury resorts are under Four Seasons
management, how will that change the visitor industry on your small
island?
A: I don’t anticipate any changes at all. Visitors who have opened
their hearts to Lanai’s way of life will continue to return, time
after time.
Q: What else is new on Lanai besides the introduction of
the Four Seasons brand?
A: That’s pretty much it. The addition of Four Seasons will be our
“What’s New” for some time. Lanai likes to perfect its craft before
launching into the next program.
Q: How will you promote Lanai in 2006?
A: The Lanai Visitors Bureau is embarking on a new marketing focus
called Lanai Island Activities. We’ll be teaching potential
visitors about the many activities we have to offer, along with our
range of dining, shopping and accommodations.
Q: What’s your personal favorite activity on
Lanai?
A: I enjoy Lanai Pines, where you can make like Annie Oakley while
shooting an environmentally-friendly clay with a 20-gauge shotgun.
Then you can try your hand at the air-rifle gallery, just like when
you were a kid at the carnival, and finish by shooting archery. The
course was created in an existing ironwood forest, a beautiful
setting.
