FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Dave Erdman
PacRim Marketing Group, Inc.
Phone: (808) 949-4592 ext. 833
Fax: (808) 942-5251
Email:
Web Site: http://www.pacrimmarketing.com

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PACRIM MARKETING GROUP'S "J-PULSE" SURVEY SHOWS JAPANESE DETERMINED TO TRAVEL DESPITE WAR/SARS

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An on-line survey done by PacRim Marketing Group, Inc. shows that many Japanese planned to travel to Hawaii despite war and the SARS outbreak.

Survey questions were posted on PacRim's "Hawaii no Arukikata," the popular Japanese web site about Hawaii, on March 28, just after the war with Iraq began. Respondents were asked whether they 1) had traveled to Hawaii as planned, 2) would travel as planned, 3) would cancel, 4) would change travel dates to Hawaii, or 5) were undecided about whether to travel or not. Then they were asked to explain the reasons for their decision.

By early April, nearly 400 Japanese web site visitors had responded to the questions. Eighty-six percent of respondents planning a trip to Hawaii that month intended to stick with their plans. There was more uncertainty about canceling or keeping travel plans for those with later travel dates. Of those planning a trip for June, seventy percent said would stick with their plans to visit Hawaii, while 19 percent were undecided.

Responses on the web site vary, but indicate that many Japanese travelers associate Hawaii with "peace of mind", "relaxation", "rejuvenation", and "healing". They also consider Hawaii as safe as, if not safer than, any other place, including Japan.

One forty-three-year-old respondent who traveled as planned commented:
"My week in Hawaii was very peaceful, and really put my mind at ease. I could really relax, and didn't hear a thing about Iraq. Since I have returned home to Japan, from morning to night, all I hear about is Iraq, Iraq."

Another respondent who had already traveled said:
"I think Japan is more dangerous than Hawaii, and Hawaii is safer, so I decided to go. When I went, I noticed a real difference between Honolulu Airport and Narita Airport. The leniency of the security checks at Narita make me uneasy..."

Other comments include:

- "Wherever you go, you can run into terrorism, so I have decided to go."
- "Hawaii still seems OK."
- "Whether you are in Japan or elsewhere, the danger is the same."

While the tone of these comments was common amongst J-Pulse Survey responses, other travelers cited cancellation fees, scheduled vacation times, and predetermined plans with others in Hawaii as reasons not to cancel their trips. Still others said they "love" Hawaii and would travel no matter what, even though they felt a little uneasy about traveling.

Messages such as these posted on the "Hawaii no Arukikata" web site have helped ease the nerves of other potential travelers. "Based on comments read on-line, travelers have actually been convinced that it is okay to travel as planned," said Dave Erdman, president of PacRim Marketing Group, Inc.

Erdman maintains that Japan remains a "very important" market for Hawaii. "The Japanese still love Hawaii. We've just hit a bump in the road." He stresses the need to continue to focus on the Japanese market and not abandon it.

To see J-Pulse visitor comments, including post-survey comments, click here

See links to media coverage at: http://starbulletin.com/2003/04/10/business/index4.html

also, PBN on-line http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2003/04/07/daily37.html?f=e

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