Hawaii Hospitality - March/April 2013 - (Page 3)

TALK STORYwith George Szigeti radio.foxnews.com Tip of the Hat to Climate Change Research, Champions of Tourism Aloha, I’m sure that by now we are all well aware of the concerns regarding global climate change. Hawaii is by no means excluded from this discussion, nor is our tourism industry. As such, it’s good to know that qualified researchers are already at work addressing this issue in the Islands. The University of Hawaii Sea Grant’s Center for Sustainable Coastal Tourism (CSCT) is studying the impacts of climate change to Hawaii’s tourism sector and exploring strategies for adaptation. The project is funded by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and includes research, outreach and educational components. The research element requires compiling and analyzing published literature and data on the climate-related processes impacting Hawaii’s environment as well the economic value of our resources at risk. As part of this process, priority sectors for adaptation and the most vulnerable areas are being identified. The outreach component of the project aims to disseminate the results of the research and to assess our tourism stakeholders’ understanding of risk and preparedness as it relates to climate change, as well as their needs and priorities in terms of research and policy. A series of outreach workshops engaging community representatives, tourism executives and other interested parties have already been conducted on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island. We appreciate that this project is moving forward and trust that HLTA members will take an interest in supporting its efforts. Visionary thinking on innovative ways to adapt to anticipated climate change may well be the key to a sustainable tourism future for us and could well establish Hawaii as a model for other destinations. … Since this is my first column since the passing of Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, I wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to the senator’s legacy and his many contributions to our state. It was said on many occasions that Hawaii’s three major economic generators were tourism, the military and Daniel Inouye. That’s no exaggeration. As the senior member of the Senate and chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Sen. Inouye directed billions of federal dollars to programs and initiatives beneficial to our state’s economy and quality of life. There’s no question that the senator immeasurably helped Hawaii evolve from statehood into its present modern-day standing as an international center for commerce, technology and innovation. A major beneficiary of the growth facilitated upon our state as a result of Sen. Inouye’s efforts is our tourism industry. Directly and indirectly his many initiatives in support of Hawaii’s economy helped tourism evolve and prosper. For example, Sen. Inouye helped establish the Brand USA Sen. Daniel K. Inouye campaign, and was instrumental in initiatives to modernize our airports and expand the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. The senator also was an advocate for interisland cruising in Hawaii; in 2003 he inserted a provision in an appropriations bill that enabled Norwegian Cruise Line to sail up to three foreign-built ships in Hawaii without having to call at a foreign port. Norwegian’s Pride of America continues to operate seven-day Hawaii voyages. More recently, he was a driving force in bringing the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting to Hawaii in 2011. On behalf of HLTA, I also want to acknowledge Sen. Daniel Akaka for his decades of service to Hawaii in Washington, first in the U.S. House of Representatives and then in the Senate since 1990. Mahalo Sen. Akaka for your aloha and support for Hawaii and its people. Hawaii’s visitor industry will continue to have champions in the U.S. Congress in Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Daniel Akaka Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Our new congressional delegation is united in its commitment to supporting Hawaii’s tourism and the economic benefits that our industry generates for our Islands and our people. Mahalo! George D. Szigeti is president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA). www.hawaiihospitalityonline.com 3 http://radio.foxnews.com http://www.hawaiihospitalityonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hawaii Hospitality - March/April 2013

Talk Story with George Szigeti
Point-of-Sale Software
Farm to Table
Outstanding Food & Beverage Professionals
News Briefs
Associations
New Restaurants
Clean Talk with Rose

Hawaii Hospitality - March/April 2013

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