Hawaii safe for visitors, tourism leaders say
Following the attack and robbery of pro golfer Robert Allenby in Hawaii, tourism officials have been keen to allay any fears the Aloha State is not a safe place for visiting tourists.
The story has made international headlines, but Tom Brower, chair of the House tourism committee doesn’t believe it will have a lasting effect.
"As long as we handle it the correct way, provide sunshine on law enforcement and community support on what happened, I think we can turn this around and make this, what could have been a failure, a big win for the state because this is where our true character comes in," Brower said.
Allenby’s account of the alleged abduction and robbery late Friday night is hazy, with no recollection of the incident other than regaining consciousness with a bloodied face near a public park.
The sketchy details and conflicting witness statements have fuelled accusations that the golfer is withholding information.
David Uchiyama, vice president of brand management for Hawaii Tourism Authority also weighed in on the incident.
"This was an unfortunate incident, and anytime something like this involves a visitor to our islands, the Hawaii Tourism Authority takes the situation very seriously. It is also important to remember that this was an isolated incident, and Hawaii remains one of the safest travel destinations in the world."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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