• Aloha shirts hit the web • Travel network acquires hotel • Hawaiian reports statistics • Hawai‘i ranked No. 1 Aloha shirts hit the web Two Kaua‘i entrepreneurs have kicked the New Year off by launching a new web site
• Aloha shirts hit the web
• Travel network acquires hotel
• Hawaiian reports statistics
• Hawai‘i ranked No. 1
Aloha shirts hit the web
Two Kaua‘i entrepreneurs have kicked the New Year off by launching a new web site dedicated to Hawaiian Aloha shirts made on the island.
Tim Dineen and Natalia Ippolito started their web business for specific reasons.
“In this day and age, we are being overrun by machines and new technology,” said the owners. “Even though, we cannot fight the changes, we can support our local Mom and Pop companies, who have dedicated their lives, like Jacqueline Vienna of ‘Jacqueline on Kaua‘i’.”
Divineisland hand picks rayon and cotton/rayon fabrics and patterns, while Jacqueline sews each Aloha shirt by hand.
“We use handmade coconut buttons and put plenty of Aloha in each shirt,” said the owners. “You can choose from conversational and traditional to gorgeous Bali patterns.”
Travel network acquires hotel
Maryland-based Travel Advantage Network (TAN), which provides wholesale-priced condominium vacations to more than 43,000 families and individuals worldwide, announces the addition of Hawai‘i’s oceanfront Hotel Moloka‘i to its expanding roster of popular vacation destinations throughout the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Settlement for the Moloka‘i resort occurred Tuesday.
As part of its transition strategy, TAN has a three-year plan to upgrade electrical, roofing, building exteriors, and guest rooms.
“The Hotel is in great shape and is lovely as is, but we want to bring it up to TAN’s standards of excellence. We’re anticipating the total renovation costs and expenses associated with taking over the property to be about $270,000 over the next three years,” explains David Dawson, who heads TAN’s property management/acquisition efforts.
Grand re-opening of Hotel Moloka‘i is tentatively scheduled for March 1, 2004.
Hawaiian reports statistics
Hawaiian Airlines Tuesday announced its traffic statistics for systemwide scheduled service in January 2004, showing year-over-year increases in Revenue Passenger Miles (RPMs), Available Seat Miles (ASMs), Load Factor, and number of passengers served.
For January 2004, Hawaiian recorded RPMs of 465,398,721, an increase of 20.6 percent from 386,033,721 RPMs in January 2003.
Hawaiian recorded 580,622,678 ASMs in January 2004, an increase of 3.2 percent from 562,873,686 ASMs in January 2003.
Hawaiian carried 457,123 passengers in scheduled operations in January 2004, an increase of 2.2 percent from 447,183 passengers for January 2003.
Hawai‘i ranked No. 1
A poll conducted by Yahoo! Travel and National Geographic Traveler ranks the Islands of Hawai‘i as the top romantic destination in the United States.
Further poll results on the romance travel market, as well as romantic destination highlights will be featured in the March 2004 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
