Overview
The Visitor Industry remains Maui's strongest economic sector. Unquestionably, Maui County's success in this area is due to an excellent product to market, excellent partners and a willingness to commit resources to keep our number one industry healthy. The Maui Visitors Bureau including Destination Lana`i and the Moloka`i Visitors Association along with the Maui Hotel Association and individual properties and local businesses have proven to be effective and dependable partners in promoting and supporting the County's visitor industry.

Through June 2000, Maui County overall visitor arrivals increased 1.5% and Maui led the State in occupancy, 82.3% with an average daily rate of $174.03. However, the visitor industry is globally, highly competitive. It is incumbent that Maui County not become complacent or it may lose its edge. In the past, the County has wisely targeted resources for marketing and promotion and we must continue to do so. OED will continue to seek additional promotional dollars from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the HVCB to maximize the County's and private sector's funds earmarked to market our tri-island county. In FY 00, Maui received the following prestigious awards:

• Travel and Leisure reader's choice award for "Best Island in Hawaii" and "Best Travel Destination" award
• Conde Nast Traveler readers chose Maui as the "Best Island in the World" and the "Best Travel Destination in the World"
• The Pinnacle Award from Successful Meetings and the Gold Service Award from Meetings and Conventions magazines went to Maui and MVB for being one of the top convention and visitors bureaus in the world.

Maui is continuing to position itself as more than a sand and sun destination. The touring visitor market that is interested in our culture, our history and wants to experience the sights and sounds of our islands will increasingly be important to our economy. In conjunction with MVB, the County's marketing agent, we will encourage new events and activities that focus on our heritage and interpret the historical places for residents and visitors alike. We will continue to feature Maui as a premier sports venue and support the attraction of scientific and technical conferences and symposia as we expand our meetings marketing to utilize the high tech park and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Our overall goal is to enhance the visitor experience and attract repeat visitors for a different type of experience. Cultural tourism, eco-tourism, edu-tourism, and ag tourism are all viable niche markets which will keep Maui in the forefront of the highly competitive visitor market.

Academy of Travel and Tourism (AOTT)
Recognizing the importance of education to a quality visitor industry workforce, we continue to support the Maui Academy of Travel and Tourism. The academy is a nationally recognized career exploration, awareness and mentoring program for high school juniors and seniors. Approximately 150 students from Maui, Baldwin, and Lahainaluna High Schools are involved in this program. Along with the regular school curriculum, AOTT students have opportunities for paid internships with local businesses, community service projects, familiarization trips, industry tours, AOTT scholarships and other experiences.