International Hawaii Tourism Ambassador program launched

The Hawaii Tourism Ambassador program launched today with the appointment of Patrick Wong of World Express Pte Ltd. as the Hawaii Tourism Association (HiTA) Singapore ambassador.

The Hawaii Tourism Ambassador program launched today with the appointment of Patrick Wong of World Express Pte Ltd. as the Hawaii Tourism Association (HiTA) Singapore ambassador. Through HiTA’s global Ambassador program, the association’s goal is to reach out to new international tourism markets.

Mr. Wong said: “Allow me to express my appreciation to be appointed a Hawaii Tourism Association Ambassador for Singapore. I look forward to working with the Hawaiian Tourism Association and its members to further enhance Hawaii as a premium destination to members of the Singapore travel industry, as well as the multinational community presence in Singapore. Together with my colleagues at the World Express group of companies,we will endeavor to make the islands of Hawaii the ultimate choice for business and leisure travel.”

HiTA President Juergen Thomas Steinmetz will present a certificate to Mr. Wong in October when he visits with him and his staff in Singapore. Mr. Steinmetz said: “We’re delighted to announce this private initiative to introduce the Aloha State to new potential markets. We feel it’s an effective way to make a difference without having to ask for public funding.”

The Hawaii Tourism Association is planning to announce the appointment of tourism ambassadors from various overseas markets in the coming months. Ambassadors should have first-hand knowledge about Hawaii, should be in the position to promote Hawaii to trade and consumers in their area, and should be able to attend networking events. Currently, HiTA has more than 300 applications from 88 countries for Ambassador positions.

“We’re looking for ambassadors that have the ability to actually produce travel to our state and are in a position to communicate and network with the travel industry and consumers in their regions,” Steinmetz said, “We are also looking to appoint ambassadors from the media, getting local journalists into the mix in order to reach out to the public and help with coverage about Hawaii.”

As the Founder and Publisher of the global travel industry publication, eTurboNews (eTN) , and President of Forimmediaterelease, a global wire service to reach journalists, Mr. Steinmetz has a global network that is available for HiTA to access with the click of a button. In addition, Mr. Steinmetz works with the US Commercial Services and with overseas representatives in US Consulates and Embassies around the globe. ETN will support HiTA by providing free advertisement for the targeted region to benefit tour operators that are selling Hawaii. For example, in Singapore, several fly-and-drive and inter-island tour packages were introduced today and are now being heavily promoted within the HitA network to trade and consumers in Singapore. Hotels used for this program include the Miramar Hotel Waikiki, Aston Aloha Beach Hotel, King Kamehameha Hotel, and Kaanapali Beach Hotel. PolyAd conducts the tours on each island.

Hawaii-based hotels, resorts, attractions, and inbound operators are invited to join the HiTA network and get connected to its overseas activities. For further information, contact HITA at [email protected] or call +1-808-566-9900 to get listed and receive business from this new global initiative.

HiTA will be attending the Leisure and Luxury Travel Show in Moscow and the PATA mart in Delhi, India, next month. In October, HiTA will be represented at ITB Singapore; TTG Intercontri in Rimini, Italy; and at the airline/ airport Route conference in Berlin, Germany. The Hawaii Tourism Association recently joined the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP), a global alliance of destinations . ICTP is a new global alliance that supports and promotes destinations with a shared belief in well-managed travel and tourism as a driver of community business, jobs, well being, and happiness. Current ICTP members include the Seychelles, Johannesburg, Zimbabwe, Oman, and the Komodo Islands.

ABOUT THE HAWAII TOURISM ASSOCIATION

The Hawaii Tourism Association’s (HITA) mission is to inform, educate, and update the global travel industry on current and emerging trends, economics, events, activities, businesses, and marketing that help shape the tourists’ perception of the Hawaiian Islands. HITA serves as a discussion forum for issues affecting industry members interested in doing business in Hawaii, while also working with new markets and regions expressing interest in visiting the Islands. The association offers member services that enhance the Hawaiian experience and promote the indigenous people, culture, and uniqueness which differentiates the most geographically-remote place on Earth from other island sand-sun-surf vacation and business destinations.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...