Hula dancing into our hearts: Aloha Canada 2018 comes to Toronto

Greeting agents with strands of Kukui nut lei and a hula performance at the door, The Hawaiian Islands and their partners gathered at the Toronto Congress Centre last night for an evening of networking, Hawaiian song and dance, and great prizes, and presentations by representatives from Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the island of Hawaii.

READ MORE: Canadian wedding specialists delve into Hawaii

The Aloha Canada 2018 event also saw key Canadian travel partners, including Air Canada Vacations, WestJet Vacations, and TravelBrands were show up to provide a report on how they're each working to make Hawaii an easy sell for agents.

Hawaii bounces back

After headlines around the world followed the story of the Kilauea volcano's frequent eruptions earlier this year, some of the most important news coming out of Hawaii is that the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is officially open.

"We're reminding everyone that it's operating 24 hours a day, and that new things throughout the park are opening daily," said Deanna Isbister, director of sales, The Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau. "Agents need to keep up with the National Parks Service (NPS) websites daily, in order to find out which programs have been added back. Two of the things that people ask us about are the lava tubes and the Jagger Museum; we're still waiting to hear about both, but otherwise, I think everyone is getting to know the park a little bit differently, and seeking out trails that maybe they weren't familiar with before."

Travellers hoping to catch a glimpse of live lava flow won't find it just yet, but according to Isbister, you never know what mother nature has in store.

Getting to know the islands

Agents were treated to a Hawaiian-inspired dinner, during which several performances by the Polynesian Cultural Center were given. Throughout the evening, the sister islands educated agents on the individual differences of each destination, be it Maui, Kauai, Molokaʻi, or Lānaʻi. 

Both Air Canada and WestJet are currently offering non-stop service to Hawaii from Vancouver. 

"We're looking forward to a successful winter season with all of you," said Matthew Djorsev, business development manager, WestJet Vacations.

"From ACV and Air Canada, thank you all," added Juan Contreras, area sales manager, Air Canada Vacations. "As of December 18, we continue our seasonal direct flight service to Honolulu from Vancouver with Air Canada, operating on Wednesdays and Thursdays."

TravelBrands currently has more than 80 airlines flying into Hawaii, available through Intair.