Hawaii

Hawaii’s identity has developed from the history and culture of the Hawaiian Islands rather than from a single commercial founding event. The islands were home to Native Hawaiian communities with their own political, social, religious and cultural systems before the arrival of European and American influence. The eventual incorporation of Hawaii into the United States created the political setting for its modern tourism economy, but the destination’s contemporary identity continues to draw heavily on Native Hawaiian language, traditions, arts, music, food, place names and relationships to land and ocean. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Hawaii became increasingly connected to international trade, agriculture and transportation. Improvements in steamship and later air travel made the islands more accessible to visitors from the U.S. mainland and other markets. Waikiki and Honolulu developed into internationally recognized visitor centers, while hotels, tour operators and transportation providers created the infrastructure for a mass-market leisure industry. Commercial aviation accelerated Hawaii’s transformation into a major destination. Jet travel reduced the practical distance between the islands and the continental United States, enabling larger visitor volumes and supporting the growth of resort districts, airlines, attractions, restaurants and inter-island services. Tourism communications often used a broad tropical-paradise image centered on beaches, flowers, music, aloha hospitality and resort leisure. That image helped establish Hawaii as one of the world’s best-known vacation destinations, but it also simplified the islands’ cultural and environmental complexity. Over time, the destination was marketed through both a statewide identity and separate island identities. Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island, Lanai and Molokai offer different landscapes, visitor infrastructure and cultural associations. A 2012 campaign by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau explicitly organized the marketing story island by island, responding to confusion about how the islands differed and encouraging travelers to choose an experience suited to their interests. Public tourism governance became increasingly important because visitor demand affects employment, transportation, land use, public infrastructure, environmental management and community life. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has used global marketing, visitor education and partnerships with local tourism organizations to promote the islands while addressing concerns about overcrowding, safety, resource protection and cultural respect. More recent campaigns have put residents and cultural practitioners at the center of the brand narrative and have targeted travelers who want deeper connections with the places they visit. The COVID-19 period and subsequent recovery exposed the vulnerability of an economy heavily dependent on travel. The 2023 wildfires on Maui created an additional challenge: tourism promotion had to be balanced against the needs of displaced residents, recovery efforts and local sensitivity. Later Maui campaigns sought to restore demand, direct spending toward local businesses and explain how visitors could return in ways that supported rather than undermined recovery. Hawaii’s current brand strategy therefore combines established destination assets with a more deliberate emphasis on responsible travel. The state remains associated with beaches, resorts, surfing, hiking, volcanoes and hospitality, but its public messaging increasingly stresses cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, community benefit and island-specific experiences. The long-term evolution of the brand will depend on whether tourism growth can be reconciled with housing, infrastructure, ecological and cultural pressures across the islands.

• 2025

  Maui emergency marketing campaign

  [4]Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign Led by HVCBhvcb.org

  A $6 million statewide partnership campaign was launched to accelerate Maui’s tourism recovery and support local businesses and jobs.

• 2024

  Meaningful-travel platform launched

  [2]Hawaii Tourism Authority launches new campaigns to stimulate meaningful travel demandbigislandnow.com

  The Hawaii Tourism Authority launched “The People. The Place. The Hawaiian Islands.” to feature local people, culture and livelihoods and encourage more responsible visitor behavior.

• 2012

  Island-by-island brand positioning

  [1]In Hawaii, a Bid to Sell Each Island as Uniquenytimes.com

  The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau introduced an integrated campaign presenting the major visitor islands as different experiences, using television, print, online, social and website content.

A culturally distinctive Pacific destination offering diverse island experiences, natural scenery, hospitality and outdoor activities, increasingly framed around meaningful, respectful and responsible travel.

• Destination tourism

  Hawaii destination experience

  The umbrella destination proposition encompasses accommodation, beaches, marine activities, outdoor recreation, food, culture, shopping, events and transportation across the Hawaiian Islands. Its value comes from combining a recognizable statewide identity with differentiated island experiences, allowing travelers to select between urban Honolulu, resort-oriented Maui, scenic Kauai, volcanic Hawaii Island and lower-density island environments.

• Cultural tourism

  Native Hawaiian cultural experiences

  Cultural tourism includes encounters with Native Hawaiian history, language, music, arts, foodways, storytelling and place-based practices. Public marketing increasingly presents cultural practitioners and local residents as central to the destination proposition, while encouraging travelers to approach cultural and sacred sites with respect and to learn about the communities connected to them.

• Adventure and ecotourism

  Outdoor and nature experiences

  Hawaii’s natural offering includes surfing, swimming, snorkeling, diving, hiking, scenic drives, marine wildlife observation, volcanic landscapes and mountain environments. These experiences are distributed unevenly across the islands and are increasingly communicated alongside guidance on safety, conservation, access restrictions and protection of natural resources.

• 2025Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign

  United States · Canada

  The Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau launched a reported $6 million program focused on Maui recovery. Initiatives included partnerships with wholesalers and online travel agencies, targeted social and digital media, public relations, special offers and incentives for meetings and group business. The campaign aimed to stimulate demand while supporting local businesses and preserving employment.

  Outcome. The program was intended to accelerate Maui’s recovery and restore visitor confidence through targeted, community-supportive promotion.

  Source
• 2024The People. The Place. The Hawaiian Islands.

  United States · International markets

  The Hawaii Tourism Authority used an integrated campaign to spotlight musicians, lei makers, chefs, farmers, cultural practitioners and other local participants in the visitor economy. The intended audience was described as environmentally conscious, culturally curious and concerned with protecting island resources. The campaign initially emphasized the continental United States and was designed for adaptation by global marketing teams and local partners.

  Outcome. The program shifted the destination narrative toward people, culture, responsible travel and community benefit, with particular emphasis on Maui while retaining statewide and island-level branding.

  Source
• 2012The Hawaiian Islands island-by-island campaign

  United States

  The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau promoted Hawaii as a collection of distinct island experiences. The campaign used consistent messaging across television, print, digital, social media and the gohawaii.com website, with the goal of helping travelers understand the different personalities and attractions of each island.

  Outcome. The campaign established island differentiation as a more explicit part of Hawaii’s destination marketing approach.

  Source
• Hawaiʻi Stays With You

  United States · International markets

  Developed by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau under Hawaii Tourism Authority direction, this campaign positioned Hawaii as a place whose people and experiences can have a lasting effect on travelers. Its launch used a Los Angeles Rams game, reflecting the importance of Los Angeles as a domestic visitor market.

  Outcome. The campaign reinforced a more emotional and meaningful-travel positioning rather than presenting Hawaii solely as a resort or beach destination.

  Source

• 2025

  Targeted investment in Maui tourism recoveryStrategy

  Background

  Maui visitor demand remained below earlier levels and tourism stakeholders sought to support businesses, jobs and broader economic recovery after the 2023 wildfires.

  Action taken

  The Hawaii Tourism Authority funded a $6 million Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign implemented with the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and industry partners.

  Aftermath

  The campaign focused resources on Maui through distribution partnerships, targeted advertising, public relations, offers and group-travel incentives rather than relying only on broad statewide promotion.

  Campaign budget. US$6 million (2025 campaign period)

  Source

• 2024

  Shift toward responsible and meaningful travel messagingStrategy

  Background

  Hawaii’s tourism authorities faced the need to maintain visitor demand while responding to concerns about environmental pressure, cultural respect, safety and the uneven effects of tourism across communities, particularly after the Maui wildfires.

  Action taken

  The Hawaii Tourism Authority launched campaigns centered on local people, culture, responsible behavior and protection of natural resources, while continuing to differentiate the individual islands.

  Aftermath

  The destination’s public positioning increasingly combined emotional travel appeal with visitor education and community-oriented messaging.

  Source

1. 1In Hawaii, a Bid to Sell Each Island as Uniquenytimes.com
2. 2Hawaii Tourism Authority launches new campaigns to stimulate meaningful travel demandbigislandnow.com
3. 3Hawaiʻi Stays With Youmedia.gohawaii.com
4. 4Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign Led by HVCBhvcb.org