Tourists are traveling more frequently but making shorter trips closer to home, which has Hawai'i's visitor industry wondering how best to attract these travelers who are pressed more for time than money.

That was part of the message yesterday at the Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau's 105th annual luncheon. Several hundred bureau members attended the event at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa.

HVCB President and CEO John Monahan said these travelers consider convenience a top priority. "Time is a currency," he said. "Time poverty results in a shift in competition from fight for a share of wallet to an emphasis on a share of their clock."

And that's why a decline in the number of air seats sold to Hawai'i has industry officials worried. "By year's end, total air seat capacity from North America is expected to decline by 3 percent overall," he said.

The decline is particularly dramatic in nonstop flights from east of Denver, where seats are expected to decline by 12 percent compared to last year.

Jay Talwar, senior vice president of marketing for the HVCB, said the bureau is constantly looking for ways to remain relevant. Just two years ago, a Web site with photo-sharing was considered fresh. Now, the bureau has added video viewing, combining new technology with a way to let Hawai'i's people tell the stories of the Islands. "A story well told connects people," Talwar said.

Monahan noted that the industry worked successfully to recover after the Sept. 11 attacks, with unprecedented growth between 2002 and 2006.

But Hawai'i still can't rest as a visitor destination, he said.

Other destinations such as Mexico are coming on stronger in trying to attract visitors. "Our competitors have not been standing still," Monahan said. "They are courting our loyal customers."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.