Aloha, healing and resilience take center stage at Hawaiʻi Tourism Conference

# What happened More than 700 tourism leaders, government officials and community stakeholders attended a sold-out Hawaiʻi Tourism Conference at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. The two-day event, organized by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), opened under the theme "Ke Kahu o ka Malamalama" — Guardians of the Light — which framed tourism as a balance between visitor experiences and residents' quality of life.

# Tone and focus The opening sessions emphasized tourism beyond revenue. Speakers stressed the industry's role in disaster preparedness, recovery and community healing. The conference took place as Hurricane Nolo approached the islands, underscoring the urgency of resilience planning.

# Major speakers and moments

• Governor Josh Green used the conference to connect tourism's economic metrics to public services: he cited $22 billion in visitor spending, 222,000 jobs supported by the sector and more than $3 billion in tax revenue. He credited the visitor industry with housing nearly 8,000 Maui residents displaced by the 2023 Lahaina wildfire.
• Keynote speaker retired FDNY Chief Joseph Pfeifer drew on his experience leading the 9/11 fire department response. Pfeifer urged attendees to prioritize preparedness, coordination and crisis leadership before disasters occur, referencing 9/11, the Miracle on the Hudson and Superstorm Sandy as lessons for crisis response.

# Policy and program priorities discussed Sessions on the first day covered tourism policy, crisis management, local purchasing initiatives and long-term competitiveness. Conference agendas included:

• Destination management and resident sentiment to guide visitation balance.
• Workforce development and the state's labor needs tied to tourism jobs.
• Technology topics such as artificial intelligence in tourism operations and marketing.
• HTA contractors preparing to unveil the 2027 global marketing strategy, with targeted plans for North America, Japan, Europe, Oceania, Korea, China and Taiwan.

# Concrete outcomes

# Why it matters Organizers and speakers positioned tourism as essential to Hawaii's economy and emergency response capacity. The discussion linked visitor spending and tax revenue directly to public services, while also pressing the industry to invest in preparedness and community-centered practices.

# Immediate context

# Takeaway for readers If you follow Hawaiʻi's visitor economy, the conference signals a shift toward integrating disaster resilience, local sourcing and resident priorities into tourism planning and marketing for 2027. Expect HTA and its contractors to outline concrete market strategies and more local purchasing commitments following the event.