LINDA LINGLE

Governor

MIKE MCCARTNEY
President and

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer

Hawai‘i Convention Center, 1801 Kalākaua Avenue, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96815 Telephone: (808) 973-2255
Website: www.hawaiitourismauthority.org Fax: (808) 973-2253

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2010

Statement Regarding March 2010 Visitor Data

Attributable to
Mike McCartney, President and CEO
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority

We are on target with the goals in HTA’s Strategic Plan and are pleased with the way the
numbers have been trending throughout the first quarter of 2010. The Neighbor Islands, and
particularly Maui, are seeing increased activity as a result of increased direct flights and air seats
from regional airports on the West Coast and Canada.

We also are seeing substantial gains in international markets especially from Korea. As
expected, pent up demand, a rebounding economy, the Visa Waiver program, and aggressive
leisure and business marketing efforts have contributed to a doubling of visitors from this market
over the same time last year. The Korea market also supports HTA’s emphasis on increasing
visitor expenditures, with per-person-per-day spending at $238.

West Coast arrivals are also up from key cities with direct flight access where HTA and HVCB
have targeted recent blitzes including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Even with these positive indicators, we are mindful that we are coming off an especially
depressed 2009, and it is important that we sustain momentum and these positive trends. This is
especially critical during the slower months of April and May. We cannot let up and must
continue to work even harder to drive demand to fill the additional seats we have attracted into
the market, and we need to pay attention to factors such as currency exchange rates and oil
prices, which directly affect people’s ability and decision to travel to Hawai‘i.

Consistent with our plan and HTA’s strategic roles, we are being vigilant and strategic with our
marketing funds and have compelling programs and events in place to help bolster arrivals in the
short-term. Programs include Mahalo Month for Travel Professionals, targeting Hawai‘i-selling
agents; the Nā Hōkū O Hawai‘i Music Festival and Maoli Arts Month.

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For more information, contact:
Momi Akimseu Krislyn Hashimoto
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Stryker Weiner & Yokota
(808) 973-2278 (808) 523-8802/722-4384 (cell)

Dawn Hirai
Stryker Weiner & Yokota
(808) 523-8802/722-9445 (cell)