With summer just around the corner, the Aloha State is gearing up for another peak travel period. We reached out to a veteran of Hawaii's visitor industry for some insight about the Islands' busy season.
Levi Sanchez, the travel agency engagement manager for wholesaler Blue Sky Tours, has been helping sell vacations to Hawaii for more than 18 years. He spoke with Shane Nelson, Travel Weekly's contributing editor for Hawaii, about popular summertime activities in the Islands, hotels and resorts where travelers can beat the crowds and how Blue Sky's summer business is shaping up.
Levi Sanchez
Q: How are summer bookings to Hawaii looking for Blue Sky Tours? Are you expecting year-over-year growth?
A: This summer has come in very, very strong. We've seen a lot of two particular types of customers: some who have booked very far out and some who are trying to find the last-minute inventory. And this summer is actually up for both of those key types of customers, so it's been very strong for us at Blue Sky Tours. What we've seen is people who really wanted savings booked early, but there were still many who waited a little longer.
Our spring bookings for this summer to Hawaii are incredibly strong. Folks who are flexible with their travel dates make that much easier, of course. And we've found people are also stretching that summer period out some, taking advantage of low pricing that comes in late May and also in early September, so we're seeing summer vacations really stretch some over the calendar this year.
Q: Is it better to book summer vacations to Hawaii further in advance or should people wait for last-minute deals?
A: For the busy summer travel period, you always want to book out as far as you can. The airfares don't typically go down during the high-demand months. They always go up. So for summer, we always recommend customers book as far out as possible. Plus they're going to get the best deals on hotel rooms. As summer gets closer and the hotels start to see their rooms filling up, they will pull their lowest-price inventory from the system, so you get the rooms you want at the lowest prices by booking further out for summer.
Waimea Canyon Waterfall on Kauai, a popular island for honeymooners and families. Photo Credit: Tor Johnson/HTA
Q: How do summer airfares to the Islands look in 2016?
A: We saw them a little bit more stable and a little less expensive this year. With Virgin America's entrance into the market, that's helped to create a competitive atmosphere, particularly on the West Coast. You don't see the spikes like we saw last year, where there were some pockets of high prices. This year it's remained relatively stable with that competitive atmosphere.
Secondarily, the fuel prices have remained low. I'm not sure that's driven airfares down, but it's kept them relatively competitive overall to Hawaii compared with other destinations. Hawaii has remained very competitive.
Q: Are there particular Hawaiian Islands that stand out from the rest as great summertime vacation destinations?
A: They all really stand out for summertime travel. We like to look at how each island might fit a particular customer, and Kauai, for example, is great for people on their honeymoons. It's also great for families, because there are a lot of condos. Of course, the Big Island is great for adventure-seekers, and the weather is great for going hiking there around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hilo is also great around that time of year. And the north shores of all the islands are terrific in the summer, because the waves are relatively calm. It's also relatively sunny, so it's a great time for families and for all vacationers to be outdoors and take advantage of the north shores of all of the islands.
Q: Three properties are set to open on Oahu this summer: the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina, the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach and the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach Hotel. Any thoughts about the impact they'll have on the island?
A: I certainly think it will be a good thing, and they will bring in new clientele. Oahu has really evolved as a destination. People who have not been there in years really need to go back and visit. Waikiki has reinvented itself and become an impressive resort destination.
And the rest of the island has really strengthened the product, when you consider improvements in Haleiwa and on the North Shore. For someone who last visited Oahu 10 years ago, it will be a completely different experience.
An aerial view of Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore, which is away from the crowds. Photo Credit: Shane Nelson
Q: Summers can get pretty busy in Hawaii. Are there resorts or hotels you like to recommend to folks who might be looking to escape the crowds?
A: For people who really want to escape the crowds, Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore is a very big property with a lot of outdoor activity options, so people feel a sense of room and space.
On Kauai, the Waimea Plantation Cottages always come up in my mind as one of those very unique hotel experiences, with stand-alone bungalow cottages, where customers can really feel like they've escaped a lot of the crowds.
On Maui, the Travaasa Hana is really set apart. It's at the end of the winding road to Hana, and I've stayed in the ocean bungalows there, which are really, really nice. Those who stay overnight there can get an early start out to the Seven Sacred Pools [in Haleakala National Park], which allows you to beat the crowds there. And the property itself really gives you that sense of room and space on Maui.
Q: What are some good summertime activity options for Hawaii travelers?
A: The one option on Oahu that people are really gravitating to is Kualoa Ranch. There are just so many options there. You can do horseback riding tours, single-rider ATV tours. They also have ziplining. They've filmed a lot of famous movies out there, so there are excellent movie-site tours. There's just a little bit of everything for customers, and if they're staying in Waikiki, Kualoa Ranch really makes for a great daytrip. You can also swim with wild dolphins on Oahu, which is fantastic.
On Kauai, you can also do a wonderful kayak river tour and then hike to a waterfall, and that's a great way for people to experience the hidden side of Kauai. Another one that I love for families or for groups are the outrigger canoe rides. I joined one on Oahu right off the beach in Waikiki, and it's like surfing but in a boat. It's so much fun, and you get that rush of the wave really pushing you, which is a really exhilarating feeling, while you're still in the safety of the canoes. So it's really great for people who maybe don't want to try surfing but still want that sensation of surfing.
Kualoa Ranch on Oahu has many options for active vacationers. Photo Credit: Daeja Faris/HTA
Q: Do you encourage travel agents to book activities for their clients prior to departure?
A: Activities are what sets Hawaii apart from other destinations, and we always recommend that travel agents sell activities, because first of all, they can earn money on it, but they also get credit for all of the excitement and fun that their customers have. It's the activities that make the vacation special for customers.
So travel agents can really showcase their expertise and the value of a travel agent by selling these tours. It can help lead to return trips. It often ensures that clients tell their friends how wonderful a trip was, and then the travel agent gets the credit. If a traveler gets to the Islands and books those activities on their own, then that's a missed opportunity for that travel agent to be the hero for their customers.
Q: Does Blue Sky pay travel agents a commission for activities they book for clients?
A: Yes, Blue Sky Tours pays a commission on all activities. It ranges from 10% to 14%.
Blue Sky Tours has been selling exclusively to travel agents since 1981. We have designed every tool and every policy in all of our product offerings to make sure that travel agents have the right product at an aggressive price to make sure they secure that Hawaii sale every single time. If a travel agent doesn't get the booking, then Blue Sky Tours doesn't get the booking.