He said there was a special relationship between Australia and Hawaii and he believed there would continue to be strong interest. “For 2024 we have seen big programs already secured for Hawaii in May, July and August.”
Speaking to micenet on the show floor at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) in Melbourne this week, Phadungkiatipong said, “We’re confident that over the next few years we will maintain current growth and welcome more Aussies and Kiwis to meet in the Hawaiian islands”.
He said even though the bulk of MICE business went to Oahu, “we have seen business groups travel on from Oahu, extend their stay – pre and post – to Maui and Kauai, plus we’ve seen interest on the neighbouring islands as well”.
“When a conference takes place in Hawaii people often bring their loved ones, family and friends, because you can accomplish both with a conference and a bit of leisure after as well.
“Typical group sizes range from 50 to 300 from this market but we have also seen major events, sporting events come to Hawaii where we can accommodate anything up to 10,000,” he said.
After devasting fires last August, Maui has reopened and the resort strip of Kaanapali on the west coast hosts most business events, but Lahaina, with its seaside restaurants, bars and laidback lifestyle was where delegates often went in the evenings.
“A lot of visitors are coming back…they want to malama (help) Maui. We want to encourage people to include Maui in their itinerary as well if they come to a conference on Oahu. We appreciate that they come and want to malama Maui.”
He said that Lahaina would take some time to rebuild and while there was no specific CSR program established to help the town, CSR projects that focused on sustainability would help Maui as a whole.
“Sustainability is at the forefront of what we do in Hawaii and across Maui we have numbers of CSR activities that attendees can incorporate into their event.
“On Maui they can help us to do simple things that help to keep Maui as beautiful as it has always been; simple things like keeping our beaches clean and using sunscreens that do not harm our reef.”
