Maui Visitors Bureau to focus on first-time visitors ADVERTISING Maui Visitors Bureau to focus on first-time visitors WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — The Maui Visitors Bureau is hoping to attract more new visitors to the islands this year. Officials are focusing
Maui Visitors Bureau to focus on first-time visitors
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — The Maui Visitors Bureau is hoping to attract more new visitors to the islands this year.
Officials are focusing on “never been” travelers from the East Coast and other parts of the mainland.
In the first six months of the year, the island has attracted more than 1,296,000 visitors so far this year. Nearly half came from the 11 states west of the Rocky Mountains.
Only about 361,000 came from the other states.
Direct flights from the East Coast to Hawaii would help change that, officials say.
Jay Talwar, the chief marketing officer for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, said about a third of North America’s 26 million “avid travelers” have not been to Hawaii. He thinks they can be attracted by an off-the-beaten path experience.
On Friday, the bureau said it will increase its presence in magazines and on social media sites, as well as host a series of media blitzes in harder-to-reach places such as Chicago, New York and Dallas.
The Maui bureau also hopes to increase its international visitors including Korea, China and Taiwan. The only nonstop international flights to Maui arrive from Canada.
Ige names new state homelessness coordinator
HONOLULU (AP) — Gov. David Ige is naming a new state leader to tackle the issue of homelessness.
Ige said Monday that Scott Morishige will join the administration Aug. 24 as the governor’s coordinator on homelessness. Morishige currently is executive director of the nonprofit organization PHOCUSED. His work has included gathering information about the growing number of homeless families and where people wind up after they leave shelters.
Ige says Morishige has a deep commitment to strengthening human services in Hawaii and that he understands how to develop and sustain programs.
A team of city, state and federal officials also met about the issue of homelessness Monday. After that meeting, state Sen. Jill Tokuda said up to $5 million in emergency funding from the Legislature would be available to tackle homelessness.
Guam man appeals life sentence for stabbing rampage
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — A Guam man convicted of killing three Japanese tourists in a crash and stabbing rampage is appealing his life sentence.
An attorney representing Chad DeSoto on Tuesday argued the judge who oversaw his client’s murder case gave inadequate instructions to the jury.
Assistant Attorney General James Collins countered that the jury instruction was exactly what was recommended by DeSoto’s attorney at trial.
DeSoto was sentenced to three life sentences to be served concurrently for the February 2013 attack. He won’t be eligible for parole.
The judge also sentenced DeSoto to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder of 11 others. DeSoto received the maximum penalty allowed for each conviction.
