Japanese travel to Hawaii will now be easier as Gov. Josh Green and the visitor industry continue to work to encourage more Japanese travel despite the weakness of the yen.
Eligible visitors from Japan can now apply for expedited entry to fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program, which eliminates hours of standing in processing lines and provides faster, TSA pre-check screening, among other benefits designed to make it easier for foreign travel to American destinations that now include Honolulu.
The announcement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection came just ahead of Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon where a record number of runners — 34,100 — already have registered online for either the marathon, a separate race on the same day from the start of the marathon to Kapiolani Park called the Start to Park 10k, or Saturday’s Kalakaua Merrie Mile, which is named after King Kalakaua.
Online registration closed Thanksgiving night, but Jim Barahal, Honolulu Marathon Association president and CEO, expects another 1,000 runners to register in person this week to set a record for participation.
Barahal thanked and credited the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority for providing the marathon for the first time with $250,000 to market the races locally, on the mainland and in foreign countries, especially Japan, which he said helped drive a 10% increase in race registrations already this year.
The previous record of 34,414 registrations was set in 1995, “and we’re definitely going past that,” Barahal said.
Even more encouraging, he said, 41% of runners are racing in Honolulu for the first time this year. It’s even higher — 45% — for Japanese runners.
Overall, though, registrations from Japanese racers are still only 68% of pre-COVID-19 levels.
But interest in the marathon’s three races — along with more marketing — “shows we can get the Japanese tourists back if we have events they want to participate in,” Barahal said. “With our historically largest market, Japan, we’re clawing our way considerably back.”
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport’s new inclusion in the Global Entry program for Japanese visitors will help, Barahal said.
“It means you don’t have to stand in line for hours at the airport,” he said.
This year 29% of runners are from Japan, 40% from Hawaii, 27% are coming from the mainland and 5% will arrive from foreign countries other than Japan, Barahal said.
Most — 23,047 — will run in the marathon, followed by 8,557 in the Start to Park 10k and 2,496 in the Merrie Mile.
Most of the runners, including from the neighbor islands, traditionally travel with at least one companion.
HTA Chair Mufi Hannemann said the marathon races have a multiplier effect for Hawaii tourism.
HTA’s $250,000 marketing investment for the marathon has resulted in “a huge return,” Hannemann said. “I’m very, very pleased. I haven’t seen these kinds of numbers since the days of the Pro Bowl.”
Given the weakness of the yen, Hannemann also wants to target Japanese demographic groups differently, including “the silver population as well as younger travelers who are more adventuresome,” he said. “They like to hike, discover culture and do things that are environmentally sustainable.”
Hannemann also wants to create a Japan-Hawaii pickleball tournament centered around 45 new pickleball courts at the Hawai‘i Convention Center that would appeal to all Japanese age groups.
In Japan the sport “is growing like anyplace else,” he said.
Easing entry into Hawaii’s largest and busiest airport through the Global Entry program will help “entice more Japanese travelers,” Hannemann said. “It’s another way to say to them that we’re doing all we can to make Hawaii a destination and make it easier for you to travel.”
Green has gone to Japan to promote more Japanese tourism to Hawaii.
In a statement, Green said Japanese eligibility for the Global Entry program represents “a revolutionary step for Hawai‘i and our local travel industry. The state of Hawai‘i has worked for over a year to advocate for this expansion with both Japan and our federal government, and this is a change that will make traveling to and from Japan easier and safer for visitors, business travelers and residents alike. I encourage all our frequent Japanese visitors to apply for Global Entry status before their next trip to Hawai‘i.”
Green called it “a key pillar of the state of Hawai‘i’s strategy to encourage travel and promote business activity between Japan and the U.S.”
All Global Entry applicants “undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment,” according to Customs and Border Protection.
Travelers are ineligible for Global Entry if they:
>> Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges, including outstanding warrants.
>> Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country.
>> Are subjects of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state or local law enforcement agency.
>> Have been denied the purchase of a firearm.
>> Have received a criminal pardon from any country.
>> Are inadmissible to the U.S. under immigration regulations, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation.
Travelers who are approved will be able to go to airport Global Entry lanes that are designed to use technology to take a photo and verify they’ve been approved.
The program also is preparing a Global Entry mobile app that will allow participants to validate their U.S. arrival in advance.
The popularity of the marathon this year shows the payoff in creating and marketing events, especially sports tourism, to generate interest in Hawaii — especially for Japanese tourists, Barahal said.
“We think it’s working on multilevels, and we’re really excited,” he said. “We can use sports tourism as a great vehicle to bring more people here. Now we need to see what we can do over the next few years to take it to another level.”
