Mufi's Message 8.23.19

Tourism 101

Yesterday afternoon, I was joined by two stalwart Chinatown advocates on HLTA’s online talk show, Tourism 101, at ThinkTech Hawaii. My guests for this episode were Honolulu Police Department Captain Mike Lambert and Neighborhood Commission Office Executive Director Shawn Hamamoto, who has also been tapped to serve as the City’s community liaison in the Chinatown area. To watch a recording of the episode, please click the following link.

TOURISM 101

Our topic this time around was the current state of Chinatown and how the City, HPD, local nonprofits, and the community are working to combat homelessness and make the neighborhood safe for all to enjoy. While many may think that HLTA mainly concerns itself with Waikiki and our “tourism” district, our mission includes making Hawai‘I a better place to live, work, and play for visitors and residents alike. In fact, just a few weeks ago HLTA, the Hawai‘i Hotel Industry Foundation, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and the State of Hawaii presented checks to the Chinatown Improvement District and the Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center in support of their efforts to address the homelessness-related issues in the downtown Honolulu area as it is clear that many visitors also frequent and tour Chinatown.

Mahalo to ThinkTech Hawaii and their President and CEO Jay Fidell for the opportunity to host quality discussions of such important topics, and of course to HPD Captain Mike Lambert and Shawn for being great guests on the show. If you have an interesting topic or initiative that you would like to share with the community as it relates to tourism, please contact our Director of Communications, Jared Ellis, at jellis@hawaiilodging.org.

Ka 'Ikena 2019

Mufi is pictured above with the KCC culinary students who made Ka 'Ikena 2018 a shining success.

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​I am pleased to announce that HLTA will be holding its 8th Annual Ka ‘Ikena dinner at Kapi‘olani Community College on September 24, 2019. Once again we will gather members and their guests to taste the delicious creations of students who are enrolled in the culinary program at KCC. This event gives KCC’s chefs-in-training the chance to show their best work to some of our industry’s leaders while also raising awareness for their program. We also present a scholarship to a student enrolled in the culinary program. Please save the date. Bring your team, a bottle of wine, and join us to support KCC’s culinary students.

Rams - Cowboys

Saturday’s game was the first time that the NFL has hosted a professional game in Hawaii since 1976. Both teams expressed their gratitude to the local fanbase as they were blown away by the aloha spirit that they felt. I am hopeful that this reception will set the tone for many more opportunities with the NFL and HTA in the future.

While the game was exciting and the atmosphere in the stands was electric, I have to admit that my favorite part of this experience was the way that the league made an effort to connect with our community in such a positive way. I’ve covered this topic extensively in my previous messages so I won’t go into too much detail here. For more coverage of the game and its effect here in the islands, you can click the following links below:

"With success of Rams-Cowboys game, tourism officials hope for more," Hawaii News Now, August 19, 2019

"Cowboys-Rams pregame show: Tourism officials hopeful for Hawaii's future with NFL," Hawaii News Now, August 20, 2019

"The Rams-Cowboys matchup will be the first NFL preseason game since 1976: when will it return again," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, August 17, 2019

"NFL preseason game is a boost to local economy," KHON 2, August 15, 2019

Charity Walk Check Presentations

I have continued to meet with some of the strongest participants in this year’s Visitor Industry Charity Walk to present checks to outstanding organizations who had a strong showing, be it through donations or volunteer numbers, at this year’s walk. It has been such a pleasure to be able meet some of the leaders and members of groups like the Domestic Violence Action Center and the Japan-America Society of Hawaii and present them a check for their hard work and participation. JASH has been a supporter and recipient of Charity Walk funds for several years.