Renowned Travel Publication Makes Announcement on Today Show; Kaua’i is Hawaii’s Top Choice for the Second Straight Year and Third out of the Last Five Years
(KAUA’I, Hawaii) — The Kaua’i Visitors Bureau announced today that Travel + Leisure magazine has named Kaua’i the second-best island in the world and island-rich Hawaii’s No. 1 destination.
The announcement came on this morning’s “Today Show” when Travel + Leisure shared the results of its annual World’s Best Awards, which are determined by reader surveys and based on five qualities: natural attractions, activities and sights, restaurants and food, people, and value.
Travel + Leisure is one of the world’s most highly regarded and trusted sources of travel information. In the magazine’s listing of World’s Best Islands for 2010, Kaua’i ranked second overall, trailing only the Galapagos Islands.
“People are touched by the serenity of Kaua’i’s tropical beauty and how the island allows them to escape the stress of their daily lives and be rejuvenated by nature,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau. “This is such a thrill for Kaua’i to again earn this recognition from Travel + Leisure’s readers because of the strong message that it sends to travelers worldwide.”
In addition to hiking, mountain tubing, kayaking, snorkeling, horseback riding, ATV adventures, aerial zipline rides, and helicopter and boat tours, golf is one of the main draws in Kaua’i. Virtually all of the island’s golf clubs and affiliated resorts are rated among the best in their category.
Just last month, The Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa and the Kaua’i Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach were both listed on Conde Nast Traveler’s prestigious list of “Top 80 Golf Resorts.” In addition, Celebrated Living named the Princeville Prince Course — located near The St. Regis Princeville Resort and Makai Golf Club — to its Top-20 U.S. Golf Course list.
“Congratulations to the Garden Isle for once again winning the hearts of travelers and receiving this prestige designation from Travel + Leisure magazine,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of Hawai’i Tourism Authority. “This honor is a testament to Kaua’i’s visitor industry and its dedication in providing visitors with an authentic and unique experience that they can’t find anywhere else in the world.”
Kaua’i golfers are overwhelmingly satisfied with experience
It appears golfers who visited Kaua’i in 2009 left the island quite pleased with their experience.
That was the finding of the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau, which released results of its 2009 Kaua’i Visitors Survey and found the satisfaction of guests partaking in golf while in Kaua’i ranked second-highest of any other attraction on the island, with accommodations placing first. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed responded their experience at golf courses in Kaua’i was either “outstanding” or “very good.”
In addition, 75 percent of those surveyed said their vacation to Kaua’i was “excellent” and 86 percent said they are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to recommend the island as a vacation place to their friends and family.
The results were taken from online surveys e-mailed to more than 1,463 Kaua’i visitors, the majority of them being first-time visitors to the island. The overall objective of the KVB survey was to identify travel behaviors, describe decision making factors and measure improvements or declines in visitor satisfaction.
Alaska Airlines to launch new service from Bay Area to Kaua’i
Visitors to Kaua’i will have yet another option for flights beginning next year when Alaska Airlines begins connecting to the Garden Isle.
The airline announced that in March, 2011 flights will be available from Oakland and San Jose to Lihue. San Jose flights will be scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays while Oakland to Lihue flights will be scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The new flights will have the capacity to bring more than 1,000 passengers a week to Kaua’i on Alaska Airline’s 157-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
As of last week, prices for the new routes began at $179 for a one-way tickets bought for travel through May 17, 2011.
About “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green”
Kaua’i offers more than 50 miles of white sand beaches — more beach per mile than any other island in Hawaii. Only four percent of the island is developed for commercial and residential use.
For more information about golf on the Garden Isle visit www.Kauaidiscovery.com/activities/golfing/, www.twitter.com/KauaiGolf, or call 800-262-1400.
The unique attributes of the golf destination cooperative “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green” include:
1. Princeville Golf Courses (www.princeville.com)
• 45 holes of golf — the 27-hole Makai Golf Club at The St. Regis Princeville Resort and the 18-hole Prince Golf Course — all designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.
• The Prince Course (800.826.1105) is rated the No. 1 course in the state and was rated No. 67 in Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses 2009-10”
• The Makai Golf Club (www.makaigolf.com/, 808.826.1912) reopened in 2010 after an extensive 15-month renovation and now features the 18-hole Makai Course and the 9-hole Woods Course
• The St. Regis Princeville Resort just completed a multi-million-dollar renovation and opened the first week of October 2009
2. Kaua’i Lagoons Golf Club (www.kauailagoonsgolf.com, 800.634.6400)
• Voted, along with Kaua’i Marriott Resort, one of the “Top 50 Resort Courses” worldwide by GolfWorld magazine in its “2009 Readers’ Choice Awards”
• Currently 18 of the 38 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus are in play, consisting of nine holes from the Kiele Course and nine holes from the Mokihana Course. The Kiele Ocean nine is receiving extensive upgrades, including the addition of one new ocean hole that will create a one-half-mile long stretch of oceanfront golf. Completion of the Kiele Ocean nine is scheduled for May 2011
• The front nine holes feature the par-3 fifth green encircled by a tropical Mango and Guava tree forest
3. Poipu Bay Golf Course (www.poipubaygolf.com, 800.858.6300)
• Along with Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa rated No. 16 in GolfWorld’s “America’s Top 50 Resort Courses, 2009”
• Four closing holes play atop a 150-foot sea cliff
• Home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, it has frequently hosted players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and other major champions
• Course is currently closed for greens renovation with a reopening planned for December 2010
4. Puakea Golf Club (www.puakeagolf.com, 866.773.5554)
• Consistently rated a favorite among Kaua’i golfers in local media outlets
• Golf Course Architect Robin Nelson used the natural layout of the land when he planned this layout, testing golfers of all levels and treating them to beautiful views of Mt. Ha’upu and deep lush ravines on several holes.
• Owned by AOL co-Founder Steve Case
About the KVB and HVCB
The Kaua’i Visitors Bureau is a division of the Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau, which is contracted by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawai’i’s tourism agency, for marketing management services in North America. The HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawai’i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawai’i’s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs.
Contact:
Gary Trask, 978.228.0314
Buffalo Communications
gtrask@billycaspergolf.com
Dan Shepherd, 703.891.3320
Buffalo Communications
dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com