LANAI CITY, Lanai The island of Lanai is billing itself as a
destination where clients can really get away from it all.
“We’re sending the message that now, more than ever, Lanai is a
place where time stands still and the woes of the world disappear,”
said Waynette Ho-Kwon, spokeswoman for Destination Lanai, the
marketing organization. “When you come to Lanai, you can pamper
yourself with luxurious accommodations and exciting
activities.”
Destination Lanai, a chapter of the Maui Visitors Bureau and the
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, was formed in the mid-’90s
to market the 140-square-mile island. With its sister islands of
Maui and Molokai, Destination Lanai co-hosts the Destination Maui
Nui seminars for mainland travel agents. The group participates in
trade shows across the nation and, since the island does well with
romance, wedding and honeymoon travelers, it advertises in major
bridal magazines.
These various marketing efforts seem to be paying off, according
to data from Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development
and Tourism. In January and February 2003, Lanai’s visitor count
increased by 23.9 percent, compared to the same two months of 2002.
Its overall 2002 count increased 32.5 percent over those from
2001.
But Hawaii’s smallest island faces many of the same problems as
its bigger neighbors. “Lanai’s greatest obstacle these days is
airlift,” said Ho-Kwon. “The general increase in interisland
airfares and decrease in flights presents problems.” From Honolulu,
round-trip fares to Lanai average $150. From Maui, nonstop
round-trip flights can be as high as $195.
For clients who are on Maui, Ho-Kwon suggested taking the
Expeditions passenger ferry to Lanai. The ferry runs five 45-minute
round trips daily between Lahaina and Lanai’s Manele small-boat
harbor. The one-way rates are $25 per adult and $20 per child, ages
2-11.
800-695-2624; www.go-lanai.com. Destination Lanai is
enthusiastically promoting the many activities available on the
island. “For an island that is 13 miles wide by 18 miles long, with
only 3,000 people, we have lots of things to do,” said Ho-Kwon.
“Most of our activities were established to give our visitors what
they were looking for in adventure.” Options include golf, sporting
clays, archery, air rifle, hiking, biking, 4x4 excursions, tennis,
swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, helicopter tours,
bird-watching, whale-watching, fishing, hunting, billiards and spa
treatments.
A first for Lanai is the opening of Highlights Beauty Salon and
Supply, offering facials, manicures, pedicures, acrylic nails,
hairstyling and sales of salon products. Canoes Lanai bought the
old Tanigawa’s Restaurant on the town square, reinventing the
eatery with Pacific-fusion cuisine. The Harbor Cafe, at the Manele
small-boat harbor, caters to travelers waiting for the Expeditions
ferry.
Accommodations on the island range from humble
bed-and-breakfasts, such as the 11-room Hotel Lanai, to the
luxurious 102-room Lodge at Koele and the 250-room Manele Bay
Hotel.
800-947-4774; www.visit lanai.net.