Every misfortune isn’t a ‘disaster’

Gov. Neil Abercrombie will be appealing the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deny aid for damage caused by Tropical Storm Iselle, and that’s probably part of the job: advocating for the state’s residents as much as possible.

However, if folks are shocked that FEMA turned us down, perhaps they shouldn’t be. Most states tend to think of federal aid as a bottomless well we can turn to with impunity, but after a winter, spring and summer of blizzards, floods, tornadoes and fires, it becomes clear that even Uncle Sam has to draw the line somewhere.

The state and county governments are working with nonprofits and private insurers to help Puna victims as much as possible, and Mayor Billy Kenoi said there could be help from the Small Business Administration or the Farm Service Bureau as well. Still Uncle Sam, but dipping into another pocket.

Expect more tourists from Asia

Airline arrivals to Hawaii from Asian destinations other than Japan are forecast to rise more than 15 percent this year, but at 543,258 seats that segment of the tourist market remains a sliver of the total of 11.2 million seats from all destinations, domestic and international, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Still, the healthy uptick is encouraging, coming from a populous region that is expected to be a major source of visitors in the future. Arrivals from Japan, meanwhile, are down ever-so-slightly, a signal that one of Hawaii’s most reliable markets may need some extra attention on the marketing front.