More than 500 tourism stakeholders took part in this year’s two-day Hawaii Tourism Conference, according to event organizers at the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). The conference assembled a diverse collection of keynote speakers and panel discussions on everything from domestic and international market trends to regenerative tourism, as well as provided a sneak peek at the destination’s new 2026 U.S. marketing campaign.
Held Sept. 22-23 at the Hawaii Convention Center just outside Waikiki, this year’s conference also featured an array of networking opportunities, during which tour operators, state government officials, hoteliers, suppliers, tourism marketers and travel advisors all had a chance to discuss the state of travel business throughout the Hawaiian Islands one on one.
Caroline Anderson, interim president and CEO of the HTA, told me during a coffee break that the conference is one of her organization’s most important annual events.
“We bring our visitor industry — all the stakeholders — together,” she said. “And we talk about market trends, what we see ahead and the issues we’re facing as a tourism industry.”
Hawaii’s Target Traveler
Aaron Sala, president and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors & Conventions Bureau (HVCB), provided the conference with an outline of the destination’s regenerative tourism objectives, and then he offered a detailed description of the type of leisure traveler his marketing organization — which focuses on the continental U.S. — now hopes to attract to the Islands.
“We call them the ‘Hawaii target traveler,’” Sala said. “And our target traveler is curious, respectful and values-driven; they seek meaning, reflection and a deeper relationship with place. Our Hawaii target travelers are people who live their values in travel as they do at home.”
The Hawaii target traveler is more likely to shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, local co-ops and farmers markets, according to Sala. They’re likely to prefer artisan or ethical brands and activewear from companies such as Patagonia and Lululemon, as well as seek out handmade products by local artists and craftspeople.
“Our target traveler is driven by social discovery,” Sala added. “They value in-person insights. They'll chat with local vendors, guides and farmers for tips and deeper engagement, and actively support local businesses both in their hometowns and while traveling.”
2026 U.S. Marketing Campaign
Offering more insight about just how the destination hopes to attract Hawaii target travelers, Sala announced the HVCB’s plans to begin shooting this fall for its new U.S. advertising campaign, Hawaii Stays With You, slated to launch in January.
/Hawaii-Visitors-%26-Conventions-Bureau-president-and.jpg?tr=w-768%2Ch-432%2Cfo-auto "Hawaii Visitors & Conventions Bureau president and CEO Aaron Sala discussed Hawaii’s target traveler demographic.")
Hawaii Visitors & Conventions Bureau president and CEO Aaron Sala discussed Hawaii’s target traveler demographic.
Credit: 2025 Shane Nelson“Guided by the people of this place, from the very heart and soul of our Hawaii, this campaign reveals the moments that matter most — families playing together on the beach, friends sharing a meal, playing and enjoying good music,” Sala said. “The message is simple but profound: The land, the people, the stories of our Hawaii do not leave you. They imprint upon you. They travel home with you."
Along with the campaign’s paid media and advanced television, programmatic video and social initiatives, Sala told conference attendees that travel advisors will remain critical storytellers and stewards for the Islands.
“In equipping advisors with narratives from our people, from our home, with itineraries and other tools, with Hawaii specialist training, our expectation is that the right travelers come in the right way,” Sala explained. “Advisors carry Hawaii's story abroad, helping to disperse visitors, supporting regenerative behaviors and strengthen the relationship between travelers and place, reinforcing the values for which we stand.”
Air Seat Angst
One challenge discussed on several occasions at the conference was the year-over-year decline in total statewide air seats to Hawaii, which were off nearly 2% statewide through the end of August, according to data provided by Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT).
Meanwhile, transpacific air seats to Hawaii were down 4.2% through August of this year when compared with the same eight-month period in 2019, according to the latest DBEDT data.
And airlift to Maui, following the devastating August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina, also continues to lag, according to DBEDT. Through the end of August this year, air seats to Maui were off more than 17% when compared with the first eight months of 2019.
There may be reason for some air seat optimism early next year from the domestic market, however, according to data presented on day two of the conference by Jeffrey Eslinger, senior director of market insights and CRM for the HVCB.
“In the forward-looking schedule for the first half of 2026, we do see a bit stronger domestic recovery,” Eslinger said of total airlift across Hawaii. “Domestic seats are projected to be up about 5.2%, with the 6.2% increase coming specifically from the U.S. West.”
Eslinger did note that geopolitical tension and unease about the global economy will likely mean international air seats to Hawaii will be off substantially early next year.
“When we get to the international side, it is projected to be down about 13.8% for that same period of January through May next year,” he said.
A Tale of Two Markets
Jadie Goo, acting chief brand officer for the HTA, quickly quieted the room during her day-two address to the conference, beginning her remarks by saying, “Oh boy, we’re in trouble — especially for international markets.”
Jadie Goo, acting chief brand officer for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said the destination is losing market share.
Credit: 2025 Shane Nelson“To sum it up, we are losing market share and air seats,” Goo continued. “And here is the truth: If the trend continues, and we don’t act now to drive demand, we will risk heading into a downward spiral that will be hard to reverse.”
Jennifer Chun, director of tourism research for DBEDT, indicated that her organization is forecasting overall visitor arrivals from the U.S. mainland to be up in 2025 when compared to 2019. But DBEDT expects total visitors from Japan to be off more than 50% when compared with pre-pandemic figures. Chun noted that DBEDT expects this year’s total arrivals from Canada to be off more than 25% when compared with 2019.
Through the end of August, Hawaii welcomed more than 6.5 million total visitors to the Islands, an increase of less than 1% when compared with the first 8 months of 2024. But that total is down 7% from the same 8-month period in 2019.
Total visitor spending was $14.6 billion across Hawaii through the end of August, an increase of 4.5% year-over-year and a jump of 21.3% when compared with the first eight months of 2019.
Chun said she expects total visitor arrivals to Hawaii in 2025 to remain essentially flat year-over-year at roughly 9.6 million total visitors.
“But we are seeing stronger growth in visitor expenditures — why?” Chun said. “Because everything's more expensive, right? Because we expect the increase in pricing and costs of your Hawaii vacation, we're seeing an increase in expenditures for all the markets.”
