Hawaii: Soon to be known for more than just sun, sea and sand

During May and June, the term: ‘staycation' was set to be the buzzword that defined the 2009 summer for UK holidaymakers. However, with the recent spell of wet weather and the arrival of the school holidays, the demand for last-minute or cheap sun holidays has returned - and the popular holiday destination that are the Hawaiian Islands is climbing the popularity rankings fast. But the area may soon be considered a top destination for very different reasons.

In a report at timesonline.co.uk with data from Expedia, searches for holidays in Hawaii are up by 90 percent compared to last year - an increase beaten only by Croatia and Costa Dorada in Spain. With the arrival of some grim weather across the British Isles, families who had put off plans to travel abroad are quickly changing their mind - and hoping to snap-up any remaining competitive cheap deals.

Hawaii is a US state made up of hundreds of small isles and eight main islands located in the Pacific Ocean, south west of the Californian coast. The last few years have seen a major influx of tourists to the islands, drawn to the breathtaking landscape featuring black and golden beaches, as well as dormant and active volcanoes. The most populous island, Oahu, is home to state capital Honolulu with nearby access to Waikiki and Hanauma Bay. For somewhere a little more peaceful, Oahu also boasts the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park located amongst the green Ko'olau Mountains.

Due to its impressive growth in popularity, it has recently been reported by the Daily Mail et al. that the next step in the development of Hawaii's tourism industry will be the construction of a spaceport. The aim is for the state to earmark $500,000 funding to make it one of the first places in the world that is accessible via space travel.

The intention is for the build to coincide with a similar construction in Japan, for instance, meaning that travel between the two places will clock in at just 45 minutes. At a cost of around $200,000 per person, the price would include pre-flight training, a week-long stay in Hawaii, concluding with a rocket launch to 40,000 feet and acceleration to more than 3,000 miles per hour before a return to earth. If the plans go through, Hawaii will be the eighth state in the US to be granted a spaceport license.

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