Hawaiian Islands

What Hawaiian Islands does

Hawaiian Islands, legally the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), is the official state destination marketing organization for the State of Hawai'i, headquartered in Honolulu. The entity operates the gohawaii.com platform and its associated ecosystem — the official website, native iOS and Android mobile applications, a VR experience application, and language-localized marketing sites in seven languages (Simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, plus English) — to promote travel to the six major Hawaiian Islands: Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Maui, and the Island of Hawai'i.

The platform is structured as a content and directory hub covering island guides, real-time weather (via OpenWeatherMap integration), event calendars, transportation details, safety information, a Hawaiian Culture & History portal, and a searchable directory of 500+ verified tourism operators. Sub-products are organized by experience category (Adventure, Culinary, Eco-Tourism, Family Fun, Golf, Relaxation & Romance, Sightseeing, Weddings & Honeymoons, Voluntourism), plus the Mālama Hawai'i sustainable-tourism initiative. Adjacent B2B properties include agents.gohawaii.com for travel trade and meethawaii.com for conventions. The platform is built on a web-based CMS with multilingual localization; no public API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

As a government state entity funded through state tourism budgets and a partnership with the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, HTA generates revenue via government appropriation and promotional services rather than commercial sales. GTM is direct-to-consumer through gohawaii.com, mobile applications, email newsletters, VR, and trade events, with a B2B layer targeting travel agents and corporate meeting planners. The entity operates amid a recent demand shock — back-to-back Kona low storms in March triggered an estimated $300 million in tourism revenue losses and roughly 70% year-over-year revenue declines for North Shore businesses — and HTA responded in 2026 with a $2 million Hawaii Demand Acceleration Marketing Plan targeting West Coast travelers. The organization also completed draft Destination Management Action Plans in 2025 to formalize responsible-tourism governance across all six islands.

Name

Hawaiian Islands

Legal name

Hawai'i Tourism Authority

Website

https://gohawaii.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawaiian Islands (the Hawai'i Tourism Authority) is the official state destination marketing organization for the State of Hawai'i, operating the gohawaii.com platform, multilingual websites, mobile apps, and a VR experience to promote travel across six major Hawaiian islands to global leisure and trade audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Tours, Activities & Attractions Metasearch (THALAEAI)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism promotion
• Travel planning
• Island tourism
• Cultural tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Services: The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) operates gohawaii.com as the official state tourism marketing platform, funded by government tourism promotion budgets. Revenue is generated through promoting tourism across six major Hawaiian islands: Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, and the Island of Hawaiʻi.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Hawaiian Islands platform, operated by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), is the official state destination marketing organization for Hawai'i. It runs gohawaii.com and companion mobile applications that provide travelers with island guides, experience directories, cultural content, trip-planning tools, weather, transportation information, and a searchable business directory across the six major Hawaiian islands (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Maui, and Island of Hawai'i). The platform supports eight languages and promotes responsible tourism through the Mālama Hawai'i program.

Product overview

GoHawaii.com is a comprehensive, multi-island tourism marketing platform operated by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority. The platform consists of a centralized hub (gohawaii.com) with island-specific destination pages for all six major Hawaiian Islands (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Maui, and the Island of Hawai'i), complemented by a companion mobile app for iOS and Android. The product portfolio also includes dedicated sub-portals organized by experience category (Adventure, Culinary, Eco-Tourism, Family Fun, Golf, Relaxation & Romance, Sightseeing, Weddings & Honeymoons, Voluntourism), a Hawaiian Culture & History Hub, a searchable business directory, trip planning tools (weather, maps, transportation, safety, FAQ), and the Mālama Hawai'i voluntourism program. The platform does not offer a public API or AI-powered features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GoHawaii.com (Official Hawaiian Islands Vacation Guide) The official statewide tourism marketing platform for the Hawaiian Islands, operated by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority. Provides island guides, experience recommendations, trip planning tools, weather information, and a business directory across all six major Hawaiian islands.
• GoHawaii Mobile App The companion mobile application for iOS and Android, enabling travelers to access island guides, trip planning tools, and travel information on mobile devices, available on the App Store and Google Play.
• Island-Specific Travel Guides (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Maui, Island of Hawai'i) Individual island destination pages providing tailored travel information, highlights, popular places, activities, events, transportation tips, and regional FAQs for each of the six major Hawaiian Islands.
• Experiences Module Curated activity and experience listings organized by category including Adventure, Culinary, Eco-Tourism, Family Fun, Golf, Relaxation & Romance, Sightseeing, Weddings & Honeymoons, and Voluntourism.
• Hawaiian Culture & History Hub Cultural content portal covering Hawaiian history, traditions, hula, music, lū'au, Hawaiian language, film, art, and cultural events across the islands.
• Hawaiian Islands Directory (Business Listings) Searchable directory of island accommodations, restaurants, activities, attractions, transportation services, and other visitor-facing businesses across all Hawaiian islands.
• Trip Planning Tools (Weather, Maps, Transportation, Safety, FAQ) Practical travel planning resources including weather forecasts by location, downloadable island maps, transportation guides, safety tips, and frequently asked questions for travelers.
• Hawai'i Golf Experiences Golf-focused section showcasing courses across all islands, including resort courses, public courses, PGA-hosting venues, and tee-time booking listings for the Island of Hawai'i, O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i, Lāna'i, and Moloka'i.
• Mālama Hawai'i (Voluntourism Program) Sustainable and responsible travel initiative connecting visitors with volunteer opportunities including habitat stewardship, reforestation, and sustainable farming experiences that give back to the islands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Marketing campaign targeting West Coast travelers to reverse 70% year-over-year revenue declines for North Shore businesses

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Expeditions Maui-Lanai FerrycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInter-island ferry service connecting Maui and Lānaʻi, featured as a recommended transportation option on the gohawaii.com platform for travelers visiting both islands
• Expeditions (Expeditions Maui-Lanai Ferry)coreTechnology or IntegrationListed as the exclusive ferry operator between Maui and Lānaʻi islands on the gohawaii.com transportation pages
• Network Advertising InitiativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party advertising network partner referenced in privacy policy for targeted advertising across the web

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit California: Official state DMO for California operating a comparable destination marketing platform (visitcalifornia.com) with multilingual content, mobile apps, business directories, and event calendars. Structurally identical model: government-backed DMO promoting a single US state's tourism with free content and partner operator listings.
• Tourism New Zealand: National DMO for New Zealand, an island destination with similar geographic concentration, cultural heritage storytelling, and adventure/ecotourism positioning. Operates multilingual global sites and a comparable official tourism platform targeting long-haul international travelers.
• Visit Florida: Official state DMO for Florida running a destination marketing platform with similar scope (multi-region coverage, business directory, multilingual site) and revenue model (state tourism promotion funding). Same regulatory and funding structure as HTA within the US DMO ecosystem.
• Tourism Australia: National DMO for Australia, an island continent destination with comparable international marketing focus, multilingual platforms targeting Asian/European markets, and a unified brand promoting diverse regional experiences under one official authority.
• Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO): National DMO for Japan operating japan.travel with multilingual content, cultural heritage focus, and government backing. Directly comparable in mission (promote a single destination's tourism globally), multilingual architecture, and integration with regional tourism boards.
• Brand USA: National DMO for the United States promoting inbound international travel through a unified brand platform. Operates as a public-private partnership with similar marketing mission and international source-market focus to HTA's outbound international efforts.

Regional players

• Visit Orlando: Regional destination DMO for Orlando with comparable platform structure (itinerary builders, attraction directories, mobile tools). More narrowly scoped to a single metro/region but structurally similar in promoting a tourism economy through a free marketing platform.

Broad incumbents

• Expedia Group: Largest US-based OTA operating consumer booking platforms across flights, hotels, packages, and activities. Competes with gohawaii.com at the booking conversion layer, where Expedia captures the actual transaction economics that HTA/gohawaii.com drives demand toward but does not capture.
• Tripadvisor: Major travel metasearch and reviews platform covering attractions, tours, and restaurants globally. Overlaps with gohawaii.com's attractions/experiences directory at the discovery and evaluation stage of the trip planning funnel, competing for traveler attention with UGC reviews.
• Booking.com: Global leader in accommodation and experiences booking. Competes with gohawaii.com for traveler mindshare at the accommodation and activity booking stage, and operates experiences/inventory layers that overlap directly with HTA's listed tourism operators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gohawaii
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hawaii
• Instagraminstagram.com/gohawaii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawaiian-islands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawaiian Islands