With the increase of organic products and the recycling movement, it seems like everywhere you look people are becoming more conscious of the environment. And Hawaii may be leading the way with “ag-tourism”. If you are like me, I didn’t really know what “ag-tourism” was. So when I came across the term in the Pacific Business News I was very interested.
Apparently, ag-tourism is a “commercial enterprise on a working farm conducted for enjoyment or education generating supplemental income for the farm, such as operating a bed and breakfast, conducting tours or other activities”.
In 2006, Hawaii’s ag-tourism measured at $38.8 million, up 14% from the $33.9 million reported in 2003. With the growing number of farmer’s markets on the islands and restaurants featuring local produce like “Town” in Honolulu, it is easy to see why. Hawaii is a great spot for travelers looking to explore local produce, flowers, and organic and regional cuisine on their visit. Visiting one of the many local farmer’s market is a great way to mingle with people who live here and learn more about Hawaii. The experiences you will have will be unique and memorable. (posted by CM)
Living in Hawaii for over 16 years, I am still amazed at the island’s natural beauty and how around every corner there is something new to discover. In Sunday’s Honolulu Advertiser, the paper ranked the top ten state parks most visited by tourists in 2007. Much to my surprise the number one attraction was here on the island of Oahu. It is funny as over the years when I have had first time Hawaii guests visit; they often think they want to leave Oahu as quick as they can. They think the beauty of Hawaii lies on another island. So I was happy to see three of the top state parks were located right here on Oahu. One of the most surprising things was that the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island did not make the list.
The survey indicated that the number of people visiting national parks here in Hawaii increased by 10% in 2007. Further supporting how important our island’s natural resources are and how we must strive to protect these magical spots. (Posted by CM)
Top 10 Hawaii State Parks 2007
Nu’uanu Pali State Wayside (905,300 visitors)
Wailua River State Park (888,100 visitors)
Ha’ena State Park (708,400 visitors)
Diamond Head State Park (643,300 visitors)
Makena State Park (525,400 visitors)
Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area (514,300 visitors)
Mike Paulin, CEO and owner of Aqua Hotels and Resorts announced that it has been awarded the management contract for the 80-room Waikiki Beachside Hotel by its owners, RKL Beachside, LLC of Honolulu, Hawaii. The transition is effective on February 12 and increases Aqua’s presence in Waikiki to eleven hotels.
“It’s a great way to start off 2008,” remarked Paulin, “The Waikiki Beachside enjoys an exceptional location and represents Aqua’s first property on Kalakaua Avenue. A renovation program of several million dollars is slated for 2008 which will easily upgrade its status to Aqua Boutique – further strengthening Aqua’s leading position in this niche market.”
“Our team is excited and energized by the addition of this charming hotel to our portfolio,” said Elizabeth Churchill, Aqua’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “It has excellent potential and we’re looking forward to implementing our expertise in marketing and guest services to create more awareness and revenue for the hotel.”
Waikiki Beachside is located at 2452 Kalakaua Avenue. The hotel features an extensive collection of European and Asian antiques and artwork with a unique open-air interior courtyard. Guest rooms feature private lanais with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
In this episode of Hawaii Q and A we take you inside the Maui Ocean Center. This a great attraction for adults and kids making it a perfect family attractions. All in all there are More than 60 exhibits including the Underwater Journey where you can experience a tunnel that offers a 240-degree view of marine life in a 750,000-gallon open ocean tank. This part of the Maui Ocean center puts you right in the middile of the action were you can get a upcalse encouters with marine life
According to Emily Bamber who is blogging on http://www.jetlinecruise.blogspot.com/ Norwegian Cruise Line has announced fleet-wide upgrades following a $1 billion cash injection from private equity group Apollo Management.
Does this mean the Hawaii ships, The Pride of America and Pride of Aloha are headed to dry dock?
Improvements will be made to dining, cabins and activities by summer 2008. The announcement was made at the christening of Norwegian Gem in New York City at the end of last year. An extra $50 million (£25.5 million) will be spent on food and restaurant amenities in the next two years, which equates to an increase of 20% per passenger per day. Most of this will be spent on refitting the ships with Action Station restaurants, replacing traditional buffets with multiple points of service that aim to dispense with trays and queues. Guests will be greeted with champagne on arrival whatever their cabin grade and there will be signature dishes at each restaurant. Room service will be available from all restaurant menus and reservation technology will be improved.
Among planned enhancements to the cabins, amenities, mattresses and towels will be upgraded balcony cabins and mini-suites will receive a 24-hour telephone concierge service and priority embarkation while suites and villas are to have concierge and butler service, in-room welcome champagne, a private breakfast and lunch area and outdoor butlers in the courtyard villas.
NCL president and chief executive Colin Veitch said Freestyle 2.0 had been driven by agent feedback. "We don’t want to rest on our laurels - we have achieved the milestone of offering the youngest fleet in the cruise industry and will now focus our attention on delivering the next generation of Freestyle Cruising - a significant enhancement to the guest experience across the fleet." Many Freestyle 2.0 features are in place on Norwegian Gem, which sailed its inaugural US cruise this week. Soft refits will be rolled out across the fleet this summer and the Action Station restaurants will be fitted as each ship goes into dry dock.
Apollo Management will own 50% of NCL under the terms of the agreement, announced in August. Veitch said the $1 billion (£510 million) will be used to reduce debt and to help pay for the ships on order for 2010.
According to bizjournals, A national marketing consultant firm said Tuesday that Hawaii continues to rank among the top 10 vacation destinations. Kansas-based Gerard Murphy & Associates also said the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu is growing in popularity as a location for meetings. The consulting firm said the convention center received high or above-average marks for its state-of-the-art facilities, staff support and reasonable costs. Three out of four clients surveyed said Hawaii is "particularly good" for international conventions. SMG, which manages the convention center, commissioned the Gerard Murphy & Associates survey. Survey questions were sent to major meeting and convention decision makers in 40 major destinations in North America.
Many people ask us about the beaches on Maui and especially in Kihei. In general the beaches are smaller, have more shore breaks and coral than other parts of Maui. Combine this with all the people that flock there, the beaches get over crowded. Today I describe the main beach areas in this video.
Agent Angelica does a great job on her blog discussing her recent visit into Waikiki. Even us locals like to play tourist every now and then and enjoy paradise.On Oahu there is so much to see but sometimes we forget how much fun good ole Waikiki is with great shows and attractions. Check out her blog here
Recently Yaling and I went to SOS (Society of Seven)a legendary show in Waikiki which we haven’t seen in years and it was awesome. Pretty soon Waikiki will Have a 15 million dollar Cirque de Soleil type of show Called Waikiki-Nei, which will feature huge collapsible ceiling which turns into a night club at night!! There also will be moving stages, rotating columns, video displays and rigging for acrobatic performers. The roof of the fourth-floor space will be raised to a 50-foot height.
I apologize to all for the rumors and confusion about NCL,. Yesterday I reported that there seemed to be something going on with the inventory for NCL cruises. Agents were sending me massages that Hawaii Cruises were suspended until further notice. It turns out the rumor started in the group department because groups are suspended until 2009. However, it is business as usual and thank goodness for that because we certainly don’t want to lose these great ships sailing in our waters. We are checking to see if in fact, they are sold out through June which seems to be the case.
With the increase of organic products and the recycling movement, it seems like everywhere you look people are becoming more conscious of the environment. And Hawaii may be leading the way with “ag-tourism”. If you are like me, I didn’t really know what “ag-tourism” was. So when I came across the term in the Pacific Business News I was very interested.
Living in Hawaii for over 16 years, I am still amazed at the island’s natural beauty and how around every corner there is something new to discover. In Sunday’s Honolulu Advertiser, the paper ranked the top ten state parks most visited by tourists in 2007. Much to my surprise the number one attraction was here on the island of 
Mike Paulin, CEO and owner of Aqua Hotels and Resorts announced that it has been awarded the management contract for the 80-room Waikiki Beachside Hotel by its owners, RKL Beachside, LLC of Honolulu, Hawaii. The transition is effective on February 12 and increases Aqua’s presence in Waikiki to eleven hotels. 
According to Emily Bamber who is blogging on 
According to 
