"We better make sure what we sell is the product that we produce," [Mayor Lingle] said. "If we sell culture and history, we must be willing to invest in perservation and enhancement."

Lingle described how, on a recent MVB trip to the Far East, Bali tourism officials were asked how much they spent on advertising. They responded that they spend $250,000. The questioner was astonished, she said, but then she heard that they also spend $20 million on the perservation and marketing of the culture of Bali.

Lingle said Maui's visitor industry must strive to promote the culture and support the island's restoration projects.