The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has set its sights on Seattle, where it's spending the month of October encouraging winter and spring travel to Hawaii.
The bureau's intensive month-long integrated marketing campaign, called Hawaii: A Thousand Reasons to Smile, is the third in a series of HVCB blitzes this year designed to stimulate short and long-term bookings from major West Coast markets.
“These blitzes are an adjunct to our year-round marketing presence in key source cities,” said HVCB president John Monahan. “As we did in San Francisco and more recently in Los Angeles, we are turning up the volume for a month of intensive activity to dominate travel messaging at a time when people are thinking about winter vacation plans.”
HVCB centered the campaign in Seattle because it provides the third largest source of visitors to Hawaii and remains comparatively strong in terms of employment and its economy.
“Our campaign will give people that extra nudge to book a Hawaii trip,” said Monahan. “Hawaii has made itself very affordable, there’s ample airline lift from the area, and people who have been holding off travel are starting to take vacations again.”
According to Hawaii Tourism Authority president Mike McCartney, Hawaii saw immediate results following similar blitzes in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with an increase in arrivals from U.S. West.
"We are optimistic that this trend will continue with our team blitzing the Pacific Northwest, a high-potential market for Hawaii,” said McCartney.
To help keep the Seattle promotion fresh throughout the month, each week focuses on a different Hawaiian island and accompanying theme that reflects its destination appeal. The first week highlighted Unlimited Adventures on Hawaii's Big Island. This week's theme, called Everything Under the Sun, focuses on Maui. Kauai's 50 Years of Movies takes center stage from Oct. 18-24. The final week of October centers on things to do in Oahu's urban and rural areas, billed Town and Country.
HVCB is spreading the word throughout Seattle by using print, broadcast and online advertising, social networking, music concerts by Hawaii entertainers, and educational lectures at R.E.I’s flagship store.
