Hawaii has for decades steered its tourism industry with the guiding tenet “spend money to make money,” surging taxpayer dollars into national and international advertising campaigns, proactive outreach, infrastructure improvements, beautification and the creation of government bodies dedicated to the task of luring travelers. Those efforts cemented the islands’ reputation as America’s paradise, but recent visitor data suggests a prolonged nadir — started by the COVID-19 pandemic — for the state’s main industrial driver. Something must be done to shift that trajectory.
To boost arrival numbers and stave off doom-and-gloom forecasts, tourism officials are making bold investments in sports tourism beyond marquee events such as the Honolulu Marathon, PGA Sony Open in Hawaii and, when Hawaii had it, NFL Pro Bowl. This highly lucrative class of tourism is becoming increasingly popular with vacationers eager to see their rest and relaxation dollars go further. Instead of spending thousands on flight, accommodations and food to remain confined at a resort, many travelers look beyond the destination to seek out activities from amateur competitions to professional sporting events.
It’s a natural extension for a state boasting lush, scenic surroundings and a robust tourist trade economy, but one that requires careful consideration and planning before implementation. Striding toward that goal, the Hawaii Tourism Authority is beefing up the Hawai‘i Convention Center’s sports venues — to the tune of $700,000. That investment buys, in part, 45 new pickleball courts, adding to the center’s 28 volleyball and badminton courts, 18 basketball courts and 11 futsal courts spread across its Kamehameha Exhibit Halls.
Bottling the lightning that is pickleball has seen early success. More than 600 players registered for last week’s Aloha Pickleball Games &Festival without much in the way of advertisement, suggesting concerted campaigning efforts could draw larger crowds from the mainland and beyond. The wider endeavor must go much further, however, to become a fully formed, productive venture. And it’s not all on HTA.
Past special events such as the sold-out NBA preseason opener between the Golden State Warriors and
Los Angeles Clippers, held at the University of Hawaii-
Manoa’s SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, prove there is an appetite for professional exhibitions — but existing facilities are inadequate to sustain both local and prospective needs.
On Oahu, Aloha Stadium is condemned and marked for demolition. UH’s Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, where UH football games are contested, seats 17,000 and the new Aloha Stadium is — at least currently — slated to provide room for 25,000, both far from the original stadium’s capacity of 50,000. Stan Sheriff Center can fit 10,300 people for indoor sports. Struggling to host major competitions at an active NCAA Division I university — one ill-prepared to accommodate heavy traffic — is less than ideal.
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That said, the state can ill afford to take a fingers-crossed, “if you build it, they will come” approach. To make sports tourism work, officials must first reach consensus on a path forward before aggressively petitioning for or creating engaging opportunities for both local and visiting participants and spectators. An example of outside-the-box thinking: HTA interim President Daniel Naho‘opi‘i said workers, Gov. Josh Green and state leaders are in discussions to host athletes and teams crossing the Pacific to attend the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. That is a promising sign.
More than many other places, Hawaii is uniquely well-suited for a push into this new flavor of tourism, with its pleasant weather and centrally located venues. A smart, forward-looking investment strategy needs to be devised, one that forges mutually beneficial ties that will
be pursued without paring back or abandoning plans. Easier said than done.
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