MVB/HVCB Meet To Discuss Visitor Industry Future

Aloha Kakou:

At Maui Visitor's Bureau annual membership meeting last Wednesday, talk was about how Maui is weathering the current economic situation, about attracting new types of visitors and about Maui's place in the vacation world.

John Monahan, chief executive of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB), said, "The difficulty is getting people to spend. It is a complete buyer's market." Visitors who "engage in the destination, people who will do more when they're here rather than buy a mat at ABC and flop on the beach," is the new type of desired visitor, he said. Hawaii needs visitors who want to go out, do things, engage in the culture, Monahan said.

"We have a reputation for being expensive," Teryl Vencl, Maui Visitor's Bureau executive director said. "That's hurting us."

Regarding the impact of social media on Maui as a destination, Vencl said, "Our every move is watched and observed daily."

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