Tourism On The Rebound!
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Lately, news about the condition of Hawaii’s economy and the tourism industry has been overwhelming positive. It has been reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that we are now surpassing expectations and are past the recovery stage – tourism is nearing a record breaking year as “June Busts Out Tourism Records,” “Hawaii Hotels Hit Midyear with Record Revenue,” and with the associated economic recovery in our #1 industry, we observe “Tourism Hiring up Tremendously.”
The tourism industry remains the foundation of Hawaii’s economy and with its growth, the rest of Hawaii reaps its benefits – especially the small business community. By sending Mufi Hannemann to Congress, Hawaii will have a leader with a strong track record of developing our tourism industry and promoting our islands on both an international and national stage.
Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann has served as Chair of the Standing Committee of Tourism and the Arts in the U.S. Conference of Mayors; as Director of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and most recently as President and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association (HLTA).
Upon Mufi’s departure from the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, HLTA Board Chairman Kelvin Bloom penned an editorial in Pacific Business News declaring, “…the visitor industry was still struggling from the impact of the global recession. Mufi revitalized our organization by recruiting new members and retaining existing ones, invigorated our county chapters, increased our visibility before legislative bodies and in the community, established a much needed dialogue with our downtown business colleagues, helped drive our charitable activities to record fundraising levels, and served as an effective voice for the visitor industry on the local and national arenas, to name just a few of his many accomplishments.”
Mr. Bloom further noted the “success Mufi enjoyed as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ tourism committee, when he lobbied for the passage of federal legislation to promote international tourism. Bloom continued, “The APEC summit was a testament to his vision for more foreign travel to the United States, and to Hawaii in particular. It would be a natural progression for Mufi to take his experience and know-how to Congress, where I know he’ll champion travel and tourism as a cornerstone of our economy and our future.” (View the editorial in its entirety on our site)
Mufi is a recognized leader in Washington for travel, tourism, and the arts. He’ll be able to lend his experience, expertise, and ideas to fortify the tourism industry at a time when our country is focused on bolstering international travel to America. For the sake of our economy, now more than ever we need Mufi Hannemann in Washington, D.C. standing tall for all of us!
With just nine days left till the democratic primary, we’d like to ask you once again for your financial support to keep our momentum going. Any amount – $25, $50, or $100 – would help us to spread our positive message via TV, radio, print, and in the mail.
We’d also like to ask you to reach out to your friends, neighbors, and family members through phone calls, emails, tweets, or facebook messages to tell them why Mufi Hannemann’s experienced leadership and proven track record is needed on Capitol Hill!
Mahalo nui loa for all your support so far. With your help, we’ll send the best person for the job to Congress!
Aloha,
The Team at Hannemann for Congress
