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Rut roh. Could the bloom be off the rose? It may be time for the Hawai'i tourist industry to look at ways to reinvent itself.
Miulang
Satisfaction levels from Japanese visitors fell 13 percentage points from 2005 to 2006. Domestic visitor satisfaction also dropped -- by 7 percentage points for visitors from the eastern region of the mainland and 3 points for visitors from the western states.
...According to a similar satisfaction study from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, satisfaction levels have been declining since 2003. However, the latest declines are more of a concern for Hawaii's visitor industry because they demonstrate that there could be a correlation between falling satisfaction levels and dropping visitor arrival numbers.
While Hawaii's largest source market for visitors, the U.S. West, had a 1.4 percent year-over-year increase in January arrivals, overall visitor arrivals were down 5.7 percent, according to a report released on Tuesday by DBEDT. Arrivals from the U.S. East market and from Japan were down 9 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
...Hawaii's push to attract higher-spending, more sophisticated travelers could be one of the reasons that satisfaction levels have dropped, he said.
"They are pickier," Haas said.
...Another reason for Hawaii's struggle to satisfy its visitors could be increased competition from new destinations that promise lower prices and newer inventory, Haas said.
Some visitors have proved especially sensitive to Hawaii's rising costs -- the result of higher fuel prices as well as increases in everything from room rates to apparel and food and beverage.
...According to a similar satisfaction study from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, satisfaction levels have been declining since 2003. However, the latest declines are more of a concern for Hawaii's visitor industry because they demonstrate that there could be a correlation between falling satisfaction levels and dropping visitor arrival numbers.
While Hawaii's largest source market for visitors, the U.S. West, had a 1.4 percent year-over-year increase in January arrivals, overall visitor arrivals were down 5.7 percent, according to a report released on Tuesday by DBEDT. Arrivals from the U.S. East market and from Japan were down 9 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
...Hawaii's push to attract higher-spending, more sophisticated travelers could be one of the reasons that satisfaction levels have dropped, he said.
"They are pickier," Haas said.
...Another reason for Hawaii's struggle to satisfy its visitors could be increased competition from new destinations that promise lower prices and newer inventory, Haas said.
Some visitors have proved especially sensitive to Hawaii's rising costs -- the result of higher fuel prices as well as increases in everything from room rates to apparel and food and beverage.
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