Major U.S. travel companies are urging Gov. Josh Green and Hawaii tourism officials to ramp up marketing efforts, warning the state is losing ground to global competitors with aggressive campaigns.
Their appeal to Green follows the nation’s longest federal government shutdown. Though the shutdown ended Wednesday, it greatly exacerbated previous slowdowns in Hawaii’s visitor industry due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to cut air traffic by up to 10% at the nation’s 40 busiest airports, including Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
A total of 690,858 visitors came to Hawaii in September, down 2.5% from September 2024, according to state data. Year to date, Hawaii has welcomed some 7.29 million visitors, a modest 0.4% increase over the same period last year, and industry leaders say demand continues to dampen.
The FAA has scaled back planned flight cuts, yet disruptions continued Friday, with over 1,000 flights canceled, according to FlightAware, which provides flight-tracking data.
David Hu, Pleasant Holidays president and CEO, along with top executives from Delta Vacations, ALG Vacations and Classic Vacations, warned Green in a letter that Hawaii’s brand presence has grown “quiet” while rival destinations invest heavily in strategic marketing.
“We are concerned that Hawaii’s visibility and messaging are not keeping pace with other destinations,” the letter said. “Not only is there a need for an increased presence and visibility of the Hawaii brand, but there is a need for a multi-year, strategic messaging plan backed by dedicated funding.”
Hu told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Thursday that the impact of the shutdown-related air traffic reductions on Hawaii tourism bookings over the last two weeks was sizeable and “equivalent to what Jamaica experienced with the hurricane.”
“Everything is on pause right now. When things come back, (visitors will) be asking themselves, ‘Where should we go? Where can we go?’” he said.
As conditions normalize in the Caribbean, Hu expects that destination will make an effort to lure back tourists. He said Hawaii will need to step up its marketing efforts so it is not overshadowed.
Industry push
Hu and other signatories of the letter, including Kama Winters, Delta Vacations president; Ray Snisky, ALG Vacations group president; and Melissa Krueger, Classic Vacations CEO, also urged the state to develop and communicate a long-term framework to protect Hawaii’s market share.
“With consistent and dedicated funding, both state organizations and external partners can invest and plan strategic messaging campaigns to amplify the story and culture of Hawaii to a global audience,” they wrote.
Currently, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority operates with a $63 million annual budget, which Green bolstered with a $6 million infusion for a Maui recovery campaign aimed at stabilizing tourism after the Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina wildfire.
The four travel company executives praised the state’s Maui campaign and expressed gratitude for its role in supporting recovery efforts in the wake of the disaster.
“These resources have enabled us to deploy a range of marketing initiatives, and we are optimistic about the positive impact on production and recovery,” the letter stated.
Aaron J. Sala, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau, said the agency requested last month that the HTA advisory board revisit HVCB’s original $10 million request for a statewide recovery campaign, which last year was cut by $4 million and refocused on Maui alone.
Sala told the Star-Advertiser on Friday that HTA has not yet responded to the bureau’s request, and conditions have worsened.
“We are having a difficult fourth quarter and first quarter,” said Sala, who was copied on the wholesalers’ letter to Green. “The letter that the wholesalers wrote to the governor is one that we have well received. We do see a need in the marketplace and the economy, and we want to make sure that we don’t miss this key booking window. We are running out of time.”
Jeffrey Eslinger, HVCB’s senior director of market insights, said the booking window for the top U.S. West visitor source market to Hawaii is about 12o days, so a prompt campaign could impact bookings for February and beyond.
“It’s a critical time to stimulate the market,” Eslinger said.
According to Sala, the fact that wholesalers sent a letter to Green emphasizes the seriousness of the tourism downturn.
“I don’t know of that happening in recent history. It’s a big deal,” he said.
Multiyear strategy
The Office of Governor told the Star-Advertiser in an email Friday that any expansion of funding should align with a broader vision.
“If we expand funding, it should be tied to a multi-year strategy for all islands, not just a short-term push,” officials said. “Although the federal government shutdown and restrictions have posed challenges, there are even larger issues at play: immigration concerns, a strong dollar and political obstacles affecting international travel to the U.S.”
Hawaii’s $63 million tourism budget isn’t enough to compete globally, according to Keith Vieira, principal of KV & Associates, Hospitality Consulting.
“They’re all outspending us,” Vieira said.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority approved a $460 million budget for fiscal year 2026, including $168 million for marketing and sales, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. That’s up from its 2025 allocation of $457.5 million that dedicated $103.6 million for advertising.
Visit California budgeted $180 million for marketing in fiscal year 2023-24, up from $149.4 million the prior year, according to ProPublica, while Visit Florida’s state funding rose to $86 million this year from $83 million last year, its annual reports show.
Internationally, Thailand plans to trim its 2026 tourism budget but it remains a hefty $139 million, the Economic Times reported. Ground News said Cancun and the Riviera Maya along on the Caribbean coastline will boost their tourism budget to $12 million in 2026, a whopping 107% jump from 2025.
Vieria said the governor and state lawmakers should consider earmarking 10% of Hawaii’s transient accommodations taxes, the equivalent of about $100 million or $120 million annually, for tourism branding and marketing.
The increase would bring Hawaii’s tourism budget closer to pre-pandemic levels and position the state to better compete with rival destinations, he said.
HTA overhaul
HTA’s ability to lead a unified marketing strategy has eroded in recent years as lawmakers slashed funding during COVID-19 and later amid a crisis of confidence when the agency faced staffing shortages, allegations of a toxic workplace, procurement violations, late payments to contractors and inappropriate perks.
Lawmakers moved to rein in HTA last year with Senate Bill 1571, signed by Green as Act 132. The law stripped HTA’s board of its policy-setting authority, making it advisory. Oversight shifted to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, led by Director Jimmy Kunane Tokioka.
Under the new structure, HTA’s CEO will be chosen by its advisory board but report directly to Green.
The Office of the Governor expressed confidence in the HTA’s new structure, saying the newly formed advisory board now has clear lines of responsibility. “The leadership is now directly accountable to the governor’s office, which is better for taxpayers, partners and the state,” the office said in its email.
Tourism remains a cornerstone of Hawaii’s economy, but the Governor’s Office emphasized that recovery should prioritize quality over quantity.
“We want to attract visitors who respect our islands, support local businesses, and see this as a trip worth saving and waiting for,” the office said, highlighting initiatives such as the upcoming “green fee” to fund climate resilience and environmental restoration.
“Our goal is not to increase the number of visitors. We seek the right mix of guests who respect our home, follow the rules and leave it better than they found it,” the Governor’s Office said.
