In 2014, airlift to the Hawaiian Islands grew 4 percent with nearly 11.2 million nonstop inbound air seats, with increases from both the domestic (+4.6% to 7.5 million air seats) and international (+2.6% to 3.6 million) markets. The HTA is projecting that the first quarter of 2015 will increase by 6.1 percent over the same period last year.

Domestic (+9.2%) air seats are expected to increase significantly during the first three months of the year from Hawaii's core North America market with a slight increase (+0.5%) in seats from the international markets.

"As an island state, access to and from the Hawaiian Islands is key to the sustainability of our visitor industry and provides our residents with the ability to see the world," said David Uchiyama, HTA vice president of brand management. "We anticipated seeing a bump in airlift to the state this year, particularly from North America, largely due to a redeployment of aircrafts from international routes to domestic routes from U.S. carriers. While we continue to monitor economic factors like oil prices, it is important that we continue to work collaboratively with our industry partners to ensure there is sufficient demand to sustain this sudden influx of air seats."

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HTA Announces PEP Selection

This year, the HTA will be supporting 156 programs and events statewide through its Product Enrichment Program (PEP), including 91 County Product Enrichment Programs (CPEP), 33 Kukulu Ola: Living Hawaiian Culture Programs (LHCP) and 32 Natural Resources Community-Based Programs (NRCBP).

"Hawaii is a destination like no other in the world and our Product Enrichment Program represents different ways in which our community comes together to make our home a better place for both visitors and residents to enjoy," said Ronald Williams, HTA chief executive officer. "These programs not only highlight the unique experiences found across the state, but also support the perpetuation of our host culture and the sustainability of our vast natural resources."

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HTA Renews Partnership with the PGA Tour

Hawaii's 2015 professional golf tournament season, known as Aloha Swing, teed off last week marking the beginning of another four-year partnership between the HTA and PGA Tour. Through 2018, the PGA Tour has committed to continue to bring its PGA TOUR and Champions Tour events to the Hawaiian Islands, which include the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui last week, Sony Open in Hawaii on Oahu this week, Jan. 11-18, and the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai on Hawaii Island next week, Jan. 21-25.

"The PGA TOUR has been a long-standing and valuable partner for the state, showcasing our premier golf courses and promoting Hawaii as a world-class golf destination," said Michael Story, HTA tourism and sports brand manager. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with the PGA TOUR and welcoming professional golfers, their families and fans back to Hawaii."

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HTA Employment Opportunity

Position Announcement - Hawai'i Tourism Authority

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawai'i's tourism agency, is seeking a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as the next president and chief executive officer. This position will report directly to the HTA board of directors and will be responsible for leading, administering, and directing the activities of the HTA, influencing the future of Hawai'i's visitor industry.

For more information about this position announcement, click here.

HTA recognizes the use of the 'okina ['] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakō[ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai'i such as Lāna'i). However, HTA respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses. Due to technological limitations, this current communication may not include all Hawaiian diacritical markings.