I had the chance to attend the HTA Annual Conference on September 22nd and 23rd, and was honored to moderate a panel on “The Evolving Landscape of Lodging in Hawaiʻi.” It was a packed two days of updates, data, and discussions. A Few Quick Hits from the HTA Conference (and my panel):
- Hotel Growth? Blink and You’ll Miss It.
- Since 2006, Hawaiʻi has added… wait for it… just 60 new hotel rooms. We’re now at roughly 43,236 rooms statewide (for scale, Vegas has over 150,000 rooms).
- Vacation Rentals: The Real Growth Story
- Since 2006 legal vacation rentals jumped 839%, from around 2,400 to 17,531. And that’s definitely understated, as only legal units are counted in the DBEDT numbers.
- Repairs include $114 million to fix leaks and another $48.8 million for visible upgrades, restrooms, A/V systems, and fresh paint, among other improvements. More Details Here.
- The current forecast? Reopening in 2028. While I was excited by the plan outlined by Convention Center GM Teri Orton, I am a bit skeptical of the timeline, as construction, in general, and government-led construction projects are not known for being on time.
- Water, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Irrigate
- Ran into several Maui friends at the conference, and let’s just say, losing the Sentry golf tournament hit hard. The financial loss is one thing (~$50 million). The reputational damage? Even worse. Future tournaments are in doubt, and visitors are left wondering if Maui’s ready for tourists.
- The Ubiquitous Stock Photo Star Lives On
- Years ago, while deep in marketing, I kept seeing the same face in ads for hotels, airlines, banks, you name it. I dubbed her the “ubiquitous Asian lady” because she was the Asian model in nearly every ad I saw. Turns out, she’s Rebecca Givens, a hapa Canadian model and the world’s most-used stock photo star. This 2016 article tells the story. Once you see her, you’ll spot her everywhere. Sure enough, she popped up at last week’s HTA conference on at least three occasions. Still smiling. Some things change (HTA Drama, AI, OTAs, enshittification)… but some stock photos are forever.
