• Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Announces Funding Opportunities

    October 03, 2023

    For Immediate Release: October 3, 2023

    HTA Release (23-41)

    Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Announces Funding Opportunities to 

    Support Natural Resources, Culture, Community Festivals, and Signature Events 

    Applications Available Through New ‘Umeke Digital Portal
     

    HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) is encouraging the community to submit applications for funding support through its upcoming programs: Kahu ‘Āina, Kūkulu Ola, the Resort Area Hawaiian Culture Initiative, Community Enrichment, and Signature Events. HTA, in partnership with Kilohana, today unveiled a digital portal, ‘Umeke, Powered by Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, for the community to submit all applications online.

     

    HTA will provide funding support to nonprofit organizations, community groups, practitioners, projects, and events occurring in Hawai‘i. Kilohana, HTA’s contractor which is responsible for developing and implementing destination stewardship initiatives statewide, is administering these programs.

     

    “An essential part of our kuleana at HTA is investing in our islands’ people, culture and places, guiding us collectively toward a more regenerative Hawai‘i for residents and visitors alike,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s interim president and CEO. “The funding opportunities offered through these programs leverage tourism’s economic benefits to support successful community initiatives.” 

     

    ʻUmeke is a gourd or bowl, like one may use to hold poi or water. In the context of these programs, ‘Umeke (umeke.kilohana.com) is the repository for community funding support, as guided by HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and Destination Management Action Plans.

     

    Applications for funding support are now open for the following HTA programs on ‘Umeke: 

     

    2023

    • The Resort Area Hawaiian Culture Initiative provides culturally appropriate greetings and entertainment in resort areas. For 2023, HTA has shifted this program to support displaced musicians and cultural practitioners who previously worked in resort areas on Maui that have been impacted due to the loss of tourism.

     

    2024

    • The Kahu ‘Āina (formerly known as Aloha ‘Āina) program supports responsible community-based entities with an emphasis on ‘āina-kānaka (land-human) relationships and knowledge that manage, preserve and regenerate Hawai‘i’s natural resources and environment.

     

    • The Kūkulu Ola program supports community-based awardees that enhance, strengthen and perpetuate Hawaiian culture through genuine experiences for residents and visitors.

     

    • The Resort Area Hawaiian Culture Initiative in 2024 provides support to cultural practitioners providing authentic Hawaiian experiences and musicians providing Hawaiian entertainment and music in resort areas statewide. 

     

    • The Community Enrichment program supports unique, authentic and highly valued visitor-related experiences, and represents activities that are developed by the community, for the community, and are things the community is willing to and wants to share with visitors.

     

    • The Signature Events program supports major festivals and events that attract attendees and participants from outside the state and have extensive opportunities for national and international marketing. They are typically high-profile events that are larger in scale than those in the Community Enrichment program. These events also have a high media value, i.e., print, online and broadcast impressions.

     

    Each of these programs also work to strengthen kamaʻāina leadership capacity in Hawaiʻi’s communities and organizations.

     

    HTA and Kilohana will be hosting two virtual webinars on Zoom to help interested applicants with their understanding of HTA’s strategic direction and vision, the RFP applications, and award process. Interested applicants will be able to submit questions in an interactive Q&A session during these briefings. A recording of both webinars will be posted online for those who are unable to attend.

     

    • Session #1: October 10, 2023 from 10 to 11 a.m.
    • Session #2: October 12, 2023 from 6 to 7 p.m.

     

    The deadline for applicants to submit proposals is Monday, November 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. HST. To view the Requests for Proposals, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/rfps/.

     

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    About the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority

    The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is the state agency responsible for representing The Hawaiian Islands around the world, and for holistically managing tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with community desires, economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, and visitor industry needs. HTA works with the community and industry to Mālama Hawaiʻi – care for our beloved home. For more information about HTA, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org or follow @HawaiiHTA on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter.

     

    About Kilohana

    Kilohana is the tourism division of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), and its kuleana is to promote Hawaiʻi as a world-class destination; ensure Hawaiian traditions and culture are perpetuated; as well as keep community and ʻāina at the center. Kilohana brings together decades of expertise rooted in a shared vision for transformation in the tourism sector. Strategists, creatives, researchers, and Native Hawaiian cultural experts have gathered to overhaul Hawaiʻi’s approach to destination stewardship, visitor management, and marketing to better share our cultural heritage and values in a way that enriches the lives of residents and visitors. 

     

    For more information, contact:

     

    T. Ilihia Gionson

    Public Affairs Officer

    Hawai‘i Tourism Authority

    Ilihia.Gionson@gohta.net   

     

    Erin Khan

    Senior Vice President, Public Relations

    Anthology, A FINN Partners Company

    erin.khan@finnpartners.com