Here’s what went down at the Hawaii Global Tourism Summit

Travel Weekly was lucky enough to spend the past week getting well acquainted with the beautiful US island state of Hawaii, thanks to Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania (HTO).

The main drawcard was, of course, the 2018 Global Tourism Summit, which took place this week at the Hawai‘i Convention Centre in Honolulu, and was presented by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

However, HTO also treated a 31-strong delegation of travel industry folk (the largest-ever group hosted by the organisation) to an amazing pre-famil on the island of Hawaii, proving that travel to the island is completely safe for visitors despite recent volcanic activity.

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Why travel agents are the secret to success for Hawai’i Tourism Oceania

Hawai’i Tourism Oceania’s country manager for Australia has sung the praises of travel agents in helping it communicate the value of the US island state.

Speaking to Travel Weekly at the 2018 Global Tourism Summit, Giselle Radulovic said that while online travel agencies have a decent share of the overall market, nothing beats the expertise and knowledge of a good travel agent.

“The fact that 60 per cent of Australian travellers to Hawaii still book through a travel agent is a clear testament to that,” she said.

While Radulovic acknowledged that the current currency exchange rate had weakened, she said HTO combats this by demonstrating the value and depth of experiences Hawaii has to offer.

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Five ways to experience the best of Hawaii arts and culture

Beyond the sun, sand and surf that often initially draws visitors to the Hawaiian Islands are the many intimate, interactive and indelible opportunities to discover the wonder of their historically-rich and vibrant indigenous Hawaiian host culture and dynamic multicultural population.

Alongside and often drawing thoughtfully from this multiethnic quilt, largely born of Hawaii’s now long-departed sugar and plantation eras, is a thriving culture and arts scene that is equally unique and also a must-experience.

Hawaii’s multifaceted arts and cultural offerings are, in fact, a large part of what genuinely inspires travellers the first time they visit the Islands and fuels their desire to return as soon as they can.

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Google’s Head Of Travel On How To Win In The “Age Of Assistance”

Travel Weekly was front and centre for the first keynote session today at the 2018 Global Tourism Summit in Hawaii, and Google’s Susie Vowinkel didn’t disappoint.

The tech giant’s head of travel and director of global partnerships started off her talk in the cleverest of ways, saying she had a special relationship with Alexa. It turns out Vowinkel was referring to her seven-year-old daughter – not Amazon’s assistant. She went on to define assistance in this day and age as not just being about smart speaker devices or voice search, but about helping people get things done.

“It’s giving people the right things at the right moment that are going to help them through their journey. I think this is particularly important in travel,” Vowinkel told summit attendees.

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“Coorpertition” Vital to the industry’s future, says Tourism NZ Chief

The CEO of New Zealand’s tourism body has called on the industry to adopt a more collaborative mindset, arguing that it is a crucial part of its future. Speaking at the 2018 Global Tourism Summit in Hawaii yesterday, Stephen England-Hall said the solutions to problems facing the tourism sector – in particular, future-proofing, sustainability and enrichment – lie in shared global thinking.

“The challenges that we face as an industry and the opportunities they present for all of us are not limited to individual cities or nations. They are a collective global challenge,” he told attendees.

“We are competing for visitors, for their spend, to be the first click on people’s choice of travel, on where to next. Those are challenges that we as destination marketing organisations face every single day.”

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