Hawaii Tourism Authority CEO Lloyd I. Unebasami (from left), Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle and Theodore E. Liu, director of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, attend a news conference at the JW Marriot Hotel in Shanghai yesterday.- Shanghai Daily

Fei Lai/Shanghai Daily news

Hawaii has embarked on a major campaign to lure Shanghai residents to the picturesque islands.

Officials from the United States Pacific Ocean state are now exploring the possibility of direct flights from Hawaii's international airports in Honolulu, Kona and Hilo to Shanghai and other Chinese mainland cities.