Posts Tagged ‘tourism’

Hawaii Pushes the “Emergency Marketing” Button

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

We all know by now how much the earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan have affected its economy and the foreign companies that depend on Japanese-made components for their products.

But something we hadn’t really thought enough about is how the disaster affects where Japanese people choose to spend their money. It seems obvious now, but Japanese tourism to Hawaii has dropped by a full 25% since March 11th. That’s a big deal for the Hawaiian tourism industry, which is now spending $3 million on “emergency marketing” to woo travelers from other nations.

See what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket? Diversity really is more than just a corporate buzzword. (Full disclosure: we hate the word “buzzword.”) In work, school, government, AND your investment portfolio, diversification can protect you from unpredictable events and their domino effects.

Fortunately, Hawaii still has plenty of appeal to pasty New Yorkers like ourselves, who are happy to contribute to the state’s critical tourism revenue stream.

Barring an unforeseen volcanic eruption, that is.

Brazil’s Carnival Burns Up… Literally

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

“(Reuters) – A large fire swept through Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival center on Monday, destroying thousands of costumes and floats and throwing preparations for Brazil’s annual festival of hedonism into chaos.”

Best Quote

“The only thing that didn’t burn was our desire to parade.” – Helinho de Oliveira

What do you think?

Can you imagine how much money this cost the people of Brazil? There’s the cost of costumes and floats, plus the time and labor it took to make them, there’s the destruction of people’s property and belongings (including wallets full of cash and credit cards), and then there’s the big event… Will there be as many tourists and money-spending revelers this year?