People looking for sand, sun, and palms have been headed to Hawaii this year. Island tourism hit new highs every month for the last 19 months. In August alone, 780,000 visitors set a new record, 3.1 percent higher than the same month the previous year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Preserving Hawaii's natural resources and culture have been the keys to the success, the authority said.
Facebook ads drop trip lures
If you've been scouting websites for trip planning or ideas, you'll magically be seeing the destinations featured in your Facebook and Instagram news feeds. Facebook has rolled out new dynamic ads for travel. Agencies and hotels are using beautiful carousel ads to tickle your fancy in Facebook. The new strategy has been effective, according to Skift.
Travel Snip
For experienced travelers, sometimes it is not what you see but what you don't. Atlas Obscura, the website for all things, well, obscure, revealed nine places, so easily overlooked, that hid mystery pleasures: A speakeasy hidden behind a drink machine; a fabulous men's clothing store secreted in an average bodega; a laundry mat with a hidden saloon. Read more: atlasobscura.com/articles/9-amazing-things-disguised-as-boring-things
More Sitka stops
In 2017, Holland America and Celebrity will make more cruise ship calls in Southeast Alaska's Sitka community. Sitka is located on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean. The town has a mild climate with an average temperature of about 45 degrees. The town stays about 60 degrees in the summer but at least five days a year it reaches70 degrees. No more than 10 days are colder than freezing. The town faces the Gulf of Alaska and has a large fishing industry. Cruise Critic ranked Sitka as the second most popular destination after Glacier Bay.
