Jehovah's Witness Convention Could Bless HI Economy

HONOLULU - KITV.com

Hawaii's visitor industry will see a bump in business this month thanks to an international convention of Jehovah's Witnesses that will start next weekend.

Thousands of delegates will descend on Oahu starting Monday. There are some estimates the large religious gathering will pump about a $100 million into the economy.

Waikiki eateries and bars were glad to hear of the anticipated 30,000 conventioneers headed their way.

"Any convention is a good convention to get people going who will be going to retail stores going to restaurants," said Joe Hart, of the bar Kelly O'Neil.

The Hawaii Convention Center will play host to the Jehovah's Witnesses international conference.

"We have people all over the world coming. Thirty-three different countries will be represented," David Fitzgerald said.

The convention center is glad for the business because normally, groups do not book around the holiday season.

Last month, the American Dental Association convention drew some 7,000 conventioneers and their families. That gave the visitor industry a much-needed boost last month.

Organizers of the upcoming religious conference expect many of the out-of-towners will be first timers who will build in neighbor island trips around their meetings.

The convention center is not large enough to handle all the conventioneers at once, so the meetings are being stretched out over the last two weekends of this month.

"The last one we had, an international convention, we had in Hawaii was in 2003. Prior to that it was 1978. They don't happen all the time," Fitzgerald said.

Some said the convention will dovetail nicely with the Honolulu Marathon, which will follow the early part of December.

So far, there are already 13,000 entries from Japan alone.

Waikiki venders are hopeful the added visitors during Thanksgiving holiday will lift their spirits and their bottom line.

"I am happy about it. It's a good thing," Hart said.

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