By ALLISON SCHAEFERS Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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A $6 million Maui emergency marketing campaign is finally underway some four months after Gov. Josh Green released the funds to help counter the continued softness from the August 2023 Maui wildfires and the expected downturn due to the wildfires in Los Angeles, Hawaii’s top tourism source market.

Green provided the funding by removing a restriction from within the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s budget to fund a marketing campaign after Hawaii hoteliers shared the critical need to continue Maui tourism recovery efforts and bolster the Los Angeles market.

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The idea initially came from the Hawai‘i Hotel Owners and Operators Roundtable and Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, who along with DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka asked Green earlier this year to provide resources to support the industry.

However, the launch by the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau was delayed by bureaucracy because the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority had not initially been part of the mix and it has been grappling with a variety of challenges, including HTA staff and board leadership changes as well as procurement and contracting issues.

The June 2 kickoff of the coordinated statewide effort came with Maui’s visitor arrivals still 21% below pre-pandemic level. However, some pickup already was expected for the peak summer season.

Tokioka expressed disappointment at the HTA Budget, Finance and Convention Center meeting on May 21 for the delayed response, which he said could have been avoided if DBEDT had worked with HVCB directly instead of waiting while HTA took the lead.

“In hindsight had I known what this was going to be, we would have just sat down with (Director of Finance Luis P. Salaveria) and the Governor and sent this through HVCB because we could have done that,” he said.

Tokioka added, “Now it’s two or three months later time from the time that this emergency funding was supposed to help Maui. Now we are getting into the busy season. We were trying to stopgap the slow season.

“Now we are getting into the busy season and then these promotions are going to go out through the busy season — it just does not do any justice to this promotion that we are trying to do when it’s busy,” he said.

“That’s the reason for my tone and my frustration. I don’t understand why this took so long.”

Maui’s visitor industry and tourism-related businesses say an earlier start would have brought greater benefits. But they still view the current campaign, which is slated to run through the end of this year, as a boon that will support local businesses, preserve jobs, and restore visitor confidence.

Maui focus

Aaron J. Sala, president and CEO at HVCB, said in a statement, “With urgency and clear intention, we are working to deliver meaningful results for Maui’s families and local businesses. This campaign is an important initial step in addressing an immediate need. Our larger journey continues — shaping the way we welcome people into relationship with Hawaii in ways that honor both community and place.”

The initiative as launched under HTA represents a broad mix of offers from public and private sector partners, including national travel wholesalers, airlines, Hawaii hotels, and media partners.

Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, said, “This program will do tremendous good. We really wanted to launch in March or April and then we would have been in time for summer and would have had a lot of leverage for the summer and the same type of leverage for the festive season.”

Gibson said, however, that the program will help address a continued downturn at Maui hotels.

“Maui business is still down, but it has picked up a little over last year,” Gibson said.

Maui’s hotel occupancy in April was 62.8%, down 3.6 percentage points from last year and 16.1 percentage points from 2019. April occupancy in Wailea, a luxury market on Maui’s south side, was 74.2%, down 1.7 percentage points from last year and 18.2 percentage points from 2019.

The Kaanapali/Lahaina/Kapalua region’s hotel occupancy in April was 60.2%, down 2.8 percentage points from last year and 18.1 percentage points from 2019.

Joshua Hargrove, general manager of the Westin Maui Resort &Spa, said business was dramatically affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires. Hargrove said the Westin’s overall revenue in 2023 dropped about 9% from 2022 because the earlier part of 2023 was strong. In 2024 he said overall revenue was down 24% from 2022 and this year is running about 9% below 2022.

“Last year was the bottom and 2025 is the other side of the valley, but still clearly in the valley,” he said. “July occupancy at my hotel is below 70%, which is unusual for July. Costs also are rising so going back to flat for 2023 means that we are down in terms of profitability.”

Hargrove said the timing of the Maui marketing campaign means that “realistically what we are doing now, we will see the benefit 60 to 90 days out so we are looking at seeing the impact in late August, September, October, November and December.”

The campaign will include a national wholesaler initiative to sell Hawaii vacation packages that prioritize Maui through partnerships with ALG/Apple Vacations, Classic Vacations, Costco Travel, Delta Vacations, Expedia and Pleasant Holidays.

Gibson said the six wholesalers will draw a “lot of eyeballs” to Maui and will result in more visitor bookings.

The effort also will encompass targeted media campaigns that showcase Maui in destination marketing initiatives in media, social media campaigns and public relations efforts.

HVCB also is amplifying its Hawaii Special Offers Program, through the Maui Nui Kakou Multi-Market initiative — a cross-branded collaboration with hotels, airlines, and Nexstar Media, including a high-profile “Maui Week” campaign airing nationally across 15 key markets. Caroline Anderson, HTA interim president and CEO, said in a statement,“This campaign, together with HTA’s partnership with the L.A. Rams, represents a unified effort across government leadership, tourism partners, and national brands to support Maui’s recovery. It is a vital step toward restoring confidence in travel to Maui, revitalizing local businesses, and preserving jobs for Maui’s communities.”

HVCB is asking businesses statewide to participate in the campaign through wholesaler collaborations. Outside of the $6 million campaign, HVCB also is asking its members to augment its Hawaii Special Offers Program by providing deals on hotel stays, activity bookings and ground transportation. Contact membership@hvcb.org for more information.

Quentin Koch, president of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters &Activities, who was at an HVCB Meet Hawaii event in Sydney on Thursday, said that marketing efforts are important to help keep not just Maui, but Hawaii “top of mind.”

“As planes go further and faster and there are all these other island destinations, we need to make sure that we market us and all the different things that we have from helicopter experiences to great culinary experiences to the culture. We are more than beach, sun and sand.”

Koch said a Maui-focused campaign is a great way to bring a quick boost to Hawaii’s visitor arrivals as California is a major visitor source market.

“Each year more than 50% of the Westin Maui’s guests came from California,” Hargrove said.

L.A. Rams

HTA’s partnership with the Los Angeles Rams also is expected to extend Hawaii’s reach with potential visitors from Hawaii’s top Los Angeles visitor-source market.

HTA will serve as the presenting sponsor of a Rams 2025 home game at SoFi Stadium and as the presenting sponsor of the Rams’ offseason content on therams.com and social channels, including in-depth coverage of the team’s visit to Maui.

As part of HTA’s partnership with the L.A. Rams, Mauicamp will take place from June 16-19 when the Rams bring their Minicamp to Maui.Tickets for Maui residents and the general public are sold out, but those who hope to attend may join a waitlist at 808ne.ws/RAMSwaitlist to get tickets for the team’s on-field activities at the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku.

Tickets are free, but fans must have a ticket to enter the stadium.

Green and Los Angeles Rams President Kevin Demoff announced the tourism partnership between Hawaii and the Rams during a press conference on May 7 at the Rams’ practice facility in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Demoff said in a statement, “Not only will this trip be a great opportunity for our players, coaches and their families to spend time together in a special setting, but also for our organization to celebrate and pour into youth football programs and players who call Maui home.”

Green said in a statement, “Back in 2019, the Rams played in front of the largest crowd in Aloha Stadium history and engaged with our local communities, and we remain connected to this day,” Green said. “Rams players will feel the warm aloha and hospitality of our islands once again, and in turn, the team will uplift members of the community that have endured so much since the 2023 Maui wildfires.”