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Leisure Businesses Keep Fast Pace Despite 2001 ChallengesType "Hawaii vacation" into any of the major online search engines and one of the first names to pop up is Best Places Hawaii. "We come up very high on the Internet radar screen," says Rob Sanford, CEO and equal partner with the company's founders Bob Self and Gary Hooser. And for good reason. Best Places Hawaii, a member of this year's PBN Hawaii's Fastest 50, is quickly becoming a top pick both for people planning trips to the state and local companies wanting to connect with visitors. "It's a unique model unlike the other models", Sanford said, comparing what the site does to a van. "This van is like a virtual van traveling around the world, picking up visitors from around the world and delivering them to our Affiliate clients." The Web-based business, which is a division of H&S Publishing, does this through the Hawaii State Vacation planner, an easily navigated and detailed online directory. What makes Best Places Hawaii a profitable site, not only for itself but for the 427 Affiliates that use it, is its Destination Marketing System, Sanford said. "We have figured out a solution that works on the Internet for our clients," he said. "We have a solution that generates revenue for our clients, so they keep coming back because we keep helping them generate revenue. We're the Internet marketing arm for our Affiliate clients, so they can focus on their core competency." Sanford points out that Affiliates do not have to pay a commission fee to Best Places Hawaii, unlike many other media opportunities. Those Affiliates range from Hawaiian Airlines, Aston, Starwood (Sheraton), Pleasant Holiday, and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts to small bed and breakfasts, realtors, and wedding planners. The site, which went online in 1995, receives 14,000 visitors a day, nearly 430,000 a month, making it the largest Hawaii-specific website in the world in terms of content and traffic, and the largest commercial visitor industry destination website in the state. The company continues to expand. Two years ago, it launched Best Places on Earth to duplicate Best Places Hawaii's model on a global level (www.BestPlacesOnEarth.com). "We're using the Internet to create new jobs and generate revenue in Hawaii," Sanford said. The company has also teamed up with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Online to become its exclusive marketer. All online advertising on the Bulletin's site will go through Best Places Hawaii, including the Bulletin's own ads, Sanford said. Best Places Hawaii continues to offer free websites to anyone who wants one, from families to businesses, through Best Places Online (www.BestPlacesOnline.com). "We want to remove any barrier to people getting online and creating websites," Sanford said. Best Places Hawaii is #1 of the Fastest 50 in the travel and tourism category and #12 overall. Two of its Affiliate clients, Classic Aloha Vacations and Hawaii Movie Tours, also placed on the top 50. A common link among the three businesses is their reliance on the Internet. Cathy Zadel, president of Classic Aloha Vacations, said about 95 percent of her business is Net generated. Bob Jasper, president of Hawaii Movie Tours, updates his company's website almost daily and said close to 30 percent of his business comes from the site. 
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