Hawaiian Airlines is now offering nonstop service to Beijing, China three times per week on one of their 294-seat Airbus A333-200 aircraft. President and CEO for Hawaiian Airlines, Mark Dunkerley, stated, "In the decades ahead of us, tourism from China is going to be one of the sustaining pillars of our local economy. It is Hawaiian Airlines' mission to encourage and support a healthy tourism industry in our islands." Peter Forman, a local aviation historian, commented, "It's not only a major move for Hawaiian but a major plus for the state of Hawaii because they're going to bring in lots of tourists from China. This could be the beginning of ultimately some very important flying from China. China could grow to be a real force in Hawaii's tourism economy in the future, so this is an important first step in making that happen."
The Hawaii Tourism Authority believes that this new route from Beijing to Honolulu will generate $81 million in annual visitor spending and increase state tax revenue by $8.47 million. Chinese visitors spent approximately $397.30 per day, which is $120 more per day than the second highest group, the Japanese. Vice president of brand management for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, David Uchiyama, commented, "A lot of the China success is tied to not only passengers that originate out of those points (in Beijing and Shanghai) but the ability to draw from regional feeder cities and connect to the carriers. I think Guangzhou would be the next likely candidate for China-Honolulu service because of the population based within the city, and its (geographical) relationship to Shanghai and Beijing because it forms a triangle there."
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 4-15-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Principal Broker, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
