Selling O‘ahu to Families with Targeted Marketing Strategies
Understanding the diverse family experiences available on O‘ahu will enable you to craft customized vacations. Developing specialized itineraries for different family market segments will give you that competitive edge.
Families with Babies and Toddlers: The Ease of O‘ahu
The following selling points make O‘ahu so ideal and easy for families with babies and toddlers:
- Direct flights from the mainland: No need to change planes.
- Perfect weather: Easy packing.
- The abundance and diversity of baby and child friendly accommodations: Resorts and hotels with suite options, condominiums, and villa rentals provide choices for families of different sizes, budgets, and tastes.
- Child friendly dining and food options: Familiar food for every family member—even the finickiest young eaters.
- Access to familiar necessities such as diapers, toys, and formula: Well priced items available across the island, especially throughout Waikīkī, mean families don’t have to over-pack for an entire trip.
Families with School Age Kids: Educational and Enriching Activities
Here are just a few of O‘ahu’s endless activities and attractions that combine fun with the richness of Hawaiian culture.
In Waikīkī:
- Honolulu Zoo: Over 900 animals from the tropics including Komodo dragons, orangutans, elephants, primates, birds, reptiles, and African animals call this zoo home.
- Waikīkī Aquarium: Maka onaona and Hō‘ailona, two endangered Hawaiian monk seals, are among the most beloved creatures at this aquarium focused on Pacific marine life.
- Free Family Entertainment: Friday Night Fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Sunset Torchlighting and Hula Festivities at Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound are among the don’t miss moments.
- Riding the Waves: Families can take surf lessons and enjoy outrigger canoe rides together while learning that both activities date back nearly 2,000 years to early Hawaiians and Polynesian voyagers.
In Honolulu:
- Bishop Museum: Kids learn how early Polynesians journeyed across the Pacific Ocean in outrigger canoes navigating by the stars at J. Watumull Planetarium and walk through a volcanic lava tube at the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center.
- Pearl Harbor: The events of December 7, 1941 and WWII come to life at four moving memorials: USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, and Pacific Aviation Museum.
- ‘Iolani Palace and Queen Emma Summer Palace: The lives and times of Hawai‘i’s beloved royal family become real in these beautifully restored 19th century royal residences.
Families with Tweens and Teens: Spa, Outdoor Adventure, and Shopping
O‘ahu offers so many exciting and unique activities for this demanding age range. Because kids become more discerning and opinionated as they age, parents appreciate the travel agent that goes the extra mile with itineraries to match the interests of their offspring.
Spa
Today’s teens are sophisticated connoisseurs of spa and salon services and O‘ahu’s top resort spas welcome teens and tweens. In Waikīkī: At Moana Lani Spa at Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, the Teen Massage and the Teen Custom Facial are available for those aged 12-15. Guests ages 12-17 are welcome to enjoy specialty selected priced services. Over at Abhasa Spa at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Hawaiian Resort, teen girls love the Hawaiian Organic Experience while teen boys enjoyed the Ultimate Foot Spa. At the Spa Khakara at Sheraton Waikīkī, teenage girls go for Island Magic while teen boys also like the Ultimate Foot Spa. At Infinity Spa at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort, teen favorites include the Lomi Lomi Traditional Hawaiian Massage, the Sports Massage, and the Yoga Stretch Massage. On the Leeward Coast of O‘ahu, teens can enjoy Painted Sky, a spa exclusively for teens ages 13-17 at Aulani Disney Resort & Spa. (Note: most spas require parents to be on site with teens under age 18).
Outdoor Adventure
In Waikīkī, consider private or semi private surfing or stand up paddle lessons with Hans Hedemann Surf School or the adrenaline thrills of catamaran sailing with Island Magic Catamaran. Up on the North Shore, teens love surfing and stand up paddle lessons with North Shore Surf Girls, golf at Turtle Bay Resort, and ziplining at CLIMB Works Keana Farms. Over on Leeward O‘ahu, two companies offer thrilling sea adventures limited to just six passengers and crews of trained marine biologists. Wild Side Specialty Tours’ Best of the West is a year round whale watching, dolphin swimming, and turtle snorkel tour (one of several options) while Under The Sea Hawai‘i’s hydrofoil glass bottom boat enables passengers to view O‘ahu’s underwater world on three different tours or via a private charter option.
Shopping
O‘ahu is a shopper’s paradise where kids will find all the most popular brand name designers. Waikīkī is a walkable resort so teens can head out and explore the shops up and down Kalākaua Avenue, in Royal Hawaiian Center, and at Waikīkī Beach Walk. Nearby, Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest outdoor mall, now undergoing a major expansion, is a major retail, dining, and entertainment venue. Those looking to save can head to Waikele Premium Outlets.
Multi-Generational Family Travel: Something for Everyone
When it comes to multi generational family travel, a destination needs to provide enough choice and variety to make everyone and every age happy. With so much to see and do, O‘ahu is perfect for family reunions, weddings, vow renewals, and multi-generational family group trips that may include grandparents, their adult children, and grandchildren. O‘ahu is easy to reach and navigate, there are a wide variety of accommodations and price points, choices in dining, and activities galore. There are ample opportunities for everyone to enjoy time together as well as time for pursuing separate interests.
Targeted Digital Marketing Communications for Reaching Families
- Leverage the web and social media for reaching families: Go where your clients are whether that’s Facebook, Twitter, email, Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube.
- A picture is a thousand words: Nothing compares with the power of images to describe an O‘ahu getaway. For instance, if grandparents are planning a family reunion, create a photo campaign that you can send in an email and post on Facebook or Pinterest. The grandparents can then build excitement by sharing these images with their kids and grandchildren. To download O‘ahu images, visit http://agents.gohawaii.com.
- Build your online community: Encourage clients to share their family vacation photos on your agency’s Facebook page.
