Page 13 - MidWeek - April 14, 2021

APRIL 14, 2021 MIDWEEK 1320
years enjoying the sand and sun on the state’s most iconic beach.
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start in the state’s most lucrative part of that experience was recre-
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After a handful of years, De Fries’ efforts elevated him to a de- partment management position, and that work experience became what he now calls “the college I never went to.”
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W hen John De Fries ap- plied to be president and CEO of Hawai‘i Tourism Authority last year, he remembers listing his two alma maters on his résumé: Punahou School and Thomas Jefferson El-
“Where Queen Kapi‘olani Ho- tel is, that’s the street I grew up on,” recalls De Fries, who took the helm of HTA last September. “Be- ing born and raised here, there’s this connection to the place and to the people, and a respect for the multiethnic societal fabric that constitutes our way of life as ka- ma‘āina.”
industry four years later as a tour director for one of the major com- panies. A 22-year-old De Fries served as an ambassador of aloha, leading visiting groups around the island — or islands, depending on the package — and giving them an in-depth look at Hawai‘i through his eyes.
ational, and you get to relate to the visitor on an intimate level.”
ementary School.
“How many executive positions
In directing the state’s No. 1 in- dustry, De Fries has the opportu- nity to lead and guide others using the same type of hospitality he was raised with.
“When you’re in that role, you actually live with the visitors you’ re traveling with, you become familiar with every segment of their experience,” he says, noting that being a free-spirit and single at the time allowed him this op-
“Academically, it was almost like I was allergic to it,” he says, with a hint of a smile. “I had more parking tickets than credits.”
put their elementary school?” he muses. Born and raised in the mec- ca of Hawai‘i tourism — Waikīkī — De Fries spent his formative
His first taste of the state’s vis- itor industry left him wanting to learn more, and he set his sights on
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