What are we doing?
We’re creating a database of local businesses (hotels, activities, and restaurants) that includes the opening and operating status as businesses get back to work. For example, dates businesses expect to open their doors to customers, any changes to operations (for example, outside seating only or smaller tour group sizes), and anything else they want customers to know. It’s a way for you to communicate your business updates with people who are planning their trip.

We shared this with a Youtube live video last week and have been overwhelmed (in a great way) with newsletter subscribers who are planning trips to Hawaii over the next year.

Why participate?
People are planning trips to Hawaii (or rescheduling them) and they don’t have a go-to source for information about what to expect on their trip. Aside from government information, they want to know things like:
Can they and should they make reservations at the restaurant their friends raved about?
Will they be able to go to a luau, go snorkeling, bike down Haleakala, and do a sunset cruise?
Will their hotel have pools, tennis courts, and restaurants open? How will things be different?
 
Since putting up our newsletter signup form less than one week ago, we’ve received an overwhelming number of signups from people actively planning a trip to Hawaii during 2020. These signups will only grow as we promote it. This database is a direct line to those people.
 
How is this updated?
Weekly or bi-weekly, a simple google form will be sent to businesses with two questions:
Are you open? If not, do you have an expected re-open date?
What’s new? The perfect place to talk about phased re-opening or new updates you want customers to know. For example, “only our outdoor dining room is open.” You can also include any other marketing promotions, but this should be short and sweet.
 
You can see a sample of the form here.
 
Our database will be updated and a notification will be sent to all of the subscribers (soon to be Hawaii visitors).
 
If you have no update, simply don’t fill out the form. Your information from the prior week will continue to be shown.
 
What about government travel and stay at home restrictions?
Don’t worry, we’ll provide our subscribers with those updates too and point them to the government announces they need to know about.
 
To be clear, everything about this list is free. Visitors can join our newsletter for free and businesses can provide their updates for free. Our goal has always been to provide the best information for the people who are looking for it, and this is what we see working best for everyone in this uncertain time.
 
We understand that re-opening is tough and may not happen smoothly or all at once. This is our way to help you communicate with your future customers. We’d love to put you on our list of businesses to include in the database.

Who are we?
We are Jordan and Erica, a husband and wife duo that run The Hawaii Vacation Guide and are recent transplants to Maui, after previously living on Oahu. While this website is somewhat new, we’ve gained an engaged following quickly and they are asking us for advice. We are excited to have found a way to hopefully help our business community.