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

Quick Glance: Updates on Reservations, Closures, and County Requests 

 
Pearl Habor National Monument 

NOTICE: Advance Reservations for USS Arizona Memorial Resumes 

Effective Sept. 9, the National Park Service advance reservations for USS Arizona Memorial tours is once again available for tours that take place on Saturday, Nov. 1 and beyond. Reservations can be made via:  recreation.gov  

 

Wednesdays in the Park – free concert series debuts in Downtown Honolulu: 

The Creative City, in collaboration with the Henry Kapono Foundation, Hawai‘i Theatre Center, and the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, is proud to present the inaugural Wednesdays in the Park on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park, located at 1041 Bethel Street in Chinatown.  

  • Wednesdays in the Park launches as a signature event of the Home in the Islands (HITI) Festival and the kickoff to a new monthly music series. The free event invites the community to enjoy an elegant midweek evening of live music in the heart of Honolulu’s Chinatown Arts District. For more information on the Home in the Islands Festival and upcoming Wednesdays in the Park events, please visit https://www.homeintheisland.com/festival or https://www.thecreativecity.org/.  

 

Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) sets community meeting on North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan public review draft 

The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) is encouraging the public to attend a community meeting on September 30 to discuss the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan (NSSCP) public review draft. The meeting is set for 6 to 8 p.m. in the Waialua Elementary School Cafeteria, 67-020 Waialua Beach Road.   

  • The NSSCP is the city’s long-range planning document that guides land use for the area from Ka‘ena Point in the west to Waiale‘e Gulch near Kawela Bay in the east. The plan sets the vision for the North Shore to 2045 and includes goals, policies, priority actions, and an analysis of issues and conditions specific to the area. A copy of the draft is available at https://northshorescp.com/ and the public comment period is open until November 14. 

 

TRAVEL TRADE & SALES 

O‘ahu Destination Travel Trade Training 

The O‘ahu Visitors Bureau (OVB) will be conducting several travel trade O‘ahu destination educational presentations in the coming months: 

  • September: Collaborating with industry partners on O‘ahu Destination webinars to reach travel advisors in the U.S. and Oceania markets. 

  • October (U.S.): Participating with the HTUSA team at ALGV ASCEND and supporting the HVCB Education Sales Blitz with O‘ahu-focused destination training. 

  • October (Canda):  Joining the AMA Travel FAM for Destination Training.   

  • November (Korea): Joining the Aloha Korea Mission, including Hawai‘i Tourism Korea and Global MCI-Korea programs. 

  • November (U.S.): Participating in Signature Travel Network conference.   

  • December (Canada): Joining Aloha Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver) 

 

MARKETING, MESSAGING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 

Upcoming Media Visits 

The following media visits are scheduled in the coming months: 

  • October 21-26: Courtney Holden (5280 Magazine)  

  • November 6-11:  Amber Turpin (7X7) 

  • November 2025: HTUSA hosting Munchies (VICE) for coverage focused on O‘ahu culinary businesses. 

 

O‘ahu PR Colleagues Meeting – Save the Date! 

  • October 16, 2025: 1pm-3pm at the OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise Hotel 

  • Registration coming soon – if you would like to register please reach out to corlans@hvcb.org