Hawai’i Tourism is waving aloha to VoX International, and apparently giving the job to a team based in the US.
After representing Hawai’i tourism in Canada for 11 years, VoX said the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA) has decided to save money by moving in a new direction.
“Mahalo (thank you) for everything,” the VoX team said in an email announcing the move. “We have sincerely appreciated your support and collaboration over the past 11 years as VoX has represented the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) in Canada.
“Unfortunately for now, VoX won’t be continuing. This is purely a budget decision the HTA has made. The intention is to let a US based team handle Canada, although no definitive decisions have been made.
“Understanding that changes and budget adjustments happen, we can't help but be sad about what is being lost and its potential impact on Hawaiʻi’s position as a top destination for Canadian visits,” VoX officials said. “As Hawaiʻi's #2 international market, we're very proud of what we've accomplished, and we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Tourism officials based in Hawai'i said they were disappointed by the move, but none would speak publicly.
Open Jaw was told the Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau is likely to handle Canadian media operations for the HTA, at least for now. The bureau has a dedicated team who are well known in Canada, including Noelani Schilling-Wheeler, Leanne Pletcher, and Maile Brown.
