After the prolonged tourism lull induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA) is ready to restore its work in Europe, one of Hawai’i’s vital visitor markets.
HTA recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP 23-04) to acquire visitor education and brand management and marketing services for the European major market area.
HTA first initiated support in the Europe market in 1998 when it was founded. The contract was discontinued in 2020 when tourism came to an almost complete halt due to the pandemic. However, 2019 data reveals the significance of the Europe market for Hawai’i, with European visitors spending $268.1 million and generating $31.29 million in state tax revenue.
With its board of directors’ backing, HTA plans to reinstate its focus on Europe starting 2024 with a new contract that will enhance the present visitor education, brand management, and marketing efforts of HTA’s Global Marketing Team. This decision is founded on feedback from HTA’s leadership and Hawai’i industry partners and data from the Tourism Economics Marketing Allocation Platform.
HTA’s upcoming strategy will also prioritize driving visitor spending into Hawai’i-based businesses to bolster the local economy. This includes promoting Hawai‘i-made products in-market, supporting local businesses, festivals, and events, and encouraging the purchase of Hawaiʻi-grown agricultural products.
Targeting mindful travelers, the brand marketing will focus on maximizing lifetime trip expenditures and per person, per day expenses in line with HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators.
The contract is scheduled to commence on January 1, 2024, and will conclude on December 31, 2025, with an option to extend for an additional three years or parts thereof.
HTA will hold a pre-proposal conference via Zoom on July 28, and the deadline for proposals is 2:00 p.m. HST on August 25.
