HTA’s 2014 Hawaii Tourism Conference to be held on August 28-29

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state’s tourism agency, will hold its annual Hawai‘i Tourism Conference, ‘Aha ‘Oihana Ho‘omāka‘ika‘i, on Aug. 28-29, 2014 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. The two-day conference is

Hawai‘i’s premier tourism stakeholder event featuring local, national and international leading experts in their fields sharing insight on tourism issues and trends unique to Hawai‘i’s visitor industry.

“Last year we achieved another record-breaking year in both visitor spending and arrivals,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the HTA. “And while our tourism economy is stable, it is important for us to remain a competitive destination in an unpredictable world economy. This year’s conference will provide Hawai‘i’s visitor industry with the knowledge and information to help maintain the momentum of one of the state’s lead economic drivers.”

The 2014 conference offers highly-informative sessions to engage and learn from presenters on key topics in Hawai‘i’s ever-evolving tourism industry. Attendees can look forward to hearing from experts on a range of topics that will provide insight into current issues that Hawai‘i’s visitor industry faces, such as the changing trends in accommodations, servicing new international markets, and guiding Hawai‘i’s tourism economy through the peaks and valleys. This year’s conference will feature industry experts including: Brad DiFiore of Ailevon Air Service Consulting; Douglas Quinby of PhoCusWright; Todd Skelton from TripAdvisor; Vish Bhatia of Hotelsoft Inc.; Kiersten Faulkner from Historic Hawai‘i Foundation; and more.

 
The HTA’s global marketing partners – the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, Hawai‘iTourism Japan, Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania, Hawai‘i Tourism Korea, Hawai‘i Tourism China,Hawai‘i Tourism Europe, Hawai‘i Tourism Taiwan, Hawai‘i Tourism Latin America and MeetHawai‘i – will also reveal their 2015 marketing plan activities.

In addition, the HTA will recognize businesses and/or individuals in the industry and community who have helped to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture during the Tourism Legacy Awards Luncheon. Last year’s honorees were celebrating their 50th anniversaries in the state: Merrie Monarch, Polynesian Cultural Center and Hilo Hattie.

Source:- Hawaii Tourism Authority