Hawai’i’s perennial appeal for Kiwis remains, with the latest stats showing strong demand for the market.
The number of Kiwis travelling to Hawai’i Jan-Mar was up 0.8% to 10,867 arrivals and the annual length of stay was up 9.5%, says Hawai’i Tourism Oceania’s Darragh Walshe. At the same time the number of Kiwis visiting a neighbour island Jan-Mar was up 38% year-on-year. Representatives from some of those neighbour islands were in New Zealand this week to update the key stakeholders and meet with agents in Christchurch. Among the updates was the latest news on Maui’s tourism industry. For agents with clients inquiring about Maui the feedback from the island state is that ‘now is the best time to go to Maui’. “They’ve got some really great things happening on the island,” says Hawaii Tourism.
While Lahaina is still rebuilding there’s plenty of other experiences on offer ranging from farm experiences and cooking classes to chocolate factory tours and a new charcuterie workshop. The Lahaina Luau, which is located on the outskirts of the burn area, is operating again and the Lahaina Cannery Mall has re-opened. Iconic experiences such as the Haleakala summit remain a popular option but remind clients that the need to make an on-line reservation via the state park service HERE to gain access (which also applies to Maui’s Iao Valley State Monument).
