With hundreds of millions of dollars being pumped into revitalizing Waikiki, Hawai'i tourism officials plan to launch a three-year marketing campaign next year to draw more attention to the area.

The recent investments in Waikiki present a "rare window of ... opportunity to build marketing momentum for Hawai'i," O'ahu Visitors Bureau executive director Les Enderton said at the bureau's annual luncheon yesterday.

"We are essentially rebranding a dream destination, Waikiki, and we have a very exciting story to tell," Enderton said. "What's good for Waikiki is good for the island of O'ahu and is good for the state of Hawai'i."

A string of redevelopment projects and upgrades has been changing the face of Waikiki, the most recent including Outrigger Enterprises Group's Waikiki Beach Walk project and Kamehameha Schools' renovation of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

The Hilton is building its Grand Waikikian time-share tower, and the Sheraton hotels in Waikiki also are expected to undergo some major upgrades.

The focused investment in Waikiki has "really changed the experience available to residents and visitors, and that's what we're trying to promote," said Jay Talwar, vice president of marketing for the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, which markets Hawai'i to North America.

"If someone is really looking for a remote, quiet, off the beaten path, totally relaxing destination, there are other places in Hawai'i for that. Waikiki is probably not the best place for that. So we're looking to line it up with the right visitor."

Talwar said the Hawai'i Tourism Authority allocated $500,000 for the effort next year, which the HVCB and O'ahu Visitors Bureau will use to leverage cooperative marketing initiatives with others in the industry.

He said the Waikiki campaign — which he described as a community-based plan — will focus on North America and Japan and will include a travel trade and public relations campaign in the spring. Consumer marketing will begin in the fall, he said.

The HVCB also produced a 2-minute video for North American travel wholesalers, travel agents and others that highlights the different activities, food and entertainment in Waikiki, as well as renderings of the Beach Walk project and the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

To see the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau video promoting Waikiki, go to http://tinyurl.com/uxcnv.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.