WHAT’S NEW ON O‘AHU AND WITHIN THE INDUSTRY 

Australian Airlift Update 

Qantas is starting new direct flights between Melbourne and Honolulu on May 1st, scheduled for 3 flights weekly.  

 

OVB Email Address Change 

Reminder that our email addresses have changed.  Moving forward please update your contact database and use the following: 

•   Noelani Schilling-Wheeler, Executive Director: nschilling-wheeler@hvcb.org 

•   Karishma Chowfin, Director of Sales: kchowfin@hvcb.org 

•   Catherine Orlans, Marketing Manager: corlans@hvcb.org 

•   Leilani Robertson, Administrative Assistant: lrobertson@hvcb.org 

 

Quick Glance: Upcoming Events – OVB Participation 

  • HTOceania:  Month of Lei | May 1-8 

  • Romance Travel Forum | June 4-7 

  • IPW 2025, Chicago | June 15-18 

  • NorCal ‘Ohana Events | June 24-27 

 

TRAVEL TRADE & SALES 

HTO/IVB Month of Lei: May 1-9, 2025 

OVB will head Down Under with the other Island Visitor Bureaus in May, attending HTO’s Month of Lei, their destination education trade and media. Training , meetings and educational opportunities will be held in Auckland, Christchurch, Sydney (Northern Beaches and Parramatta and Canberra.  In preparation for the event, members are invited  to submit updates to kchowfin@hvcb.org.  

 

HTE Product Manager FAM (O‘ahu & Hawai‘i Island): June 19-22 

HTE is bringing 10 top product managers from UK, German, and Swiss wholesalers on a travel trade FAM.  The FAM will start after IPW and start on O‘ahu.  OVB is collaborating on developing itinerary and coordinating strategic experiences for these clients.   

 

IPW 2025, Chicago 

International markets play a vital role in O‘ahu's tourism industry. While some are still recovering from pre-COVID levels, many HTA targeted markets are eager to return and show positive signs. If international visitors are important to your current or future business plan, consider attending U.S. Travel’s IPW—the largest international travel trade and media show in the U.S.—held in Chicago from June 15-18, 2025. IF you have questions on the event, contact Noelani at nschlling-wheeler@hvcb.org. 

 

MARKETING, MESSAGING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 

Consumer eNews:  May Theme around Surfing 

OVB is preparing the April edition of our consumer eNews that is sent to our vetted consumer subscriber database and will be highlighting our surf history and scene on O‘‘ahu and we’d love to feature your content! 

 

If you have products, events, or stories that showcase O‘ahu’s creative community, now is the time to share! Send your updates to Catherine Orlans (corlans@hvcb.org ). 

 

OVB Social Media Collaborations 

Looking to expand your reach and connect with a broader audience? Consider collaborating with OVB on a strategic social media post! This partnership allows you to tap into our follower base while showcasing your brand to a wider network, and in turn, we can highlight the destination to your audience. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to boost your visibility and engage with potential customers. Contact Catherine Orlans at corlans@hvcb.org today!                            

 

Upcoming Media Visits and Prospective Exposure 

OVB continues to vet and work on media visits and to support HTA GMT media FAMs and visits that will translate to appropriate  O‘ahu messaging and stories. 

 

Visiting Media Support 

Upcoming U.S. media visits supported by OVB:  

•   Jennifer Bain (National Park Traveler), May 

•   Emily Caldwell (The Manual), May 

 

GMT’s International media visit OVB scheduled to support: 

•   Kristin Surh, (Freundin Magazine), May 

 

Media FAMs:  

•    BrandUSA & HTE FAM: HTE is collaborating with BrandUSA to bring top European media to O‘ahu & Maui at the end of May 28-June 2.  OVB working with HTE to build itinerary and support FAM efforts.    

•   Qantas Media FAM: OVB initiated and collaborating with HTO to bring three Melbourne based media to O‘ahu on a media FAM on the inaugural Qantas flight on May 1-6.