Riding The Obama Wave In Hawaii
Those who can't capture a glimpse of the future president can now revisit his past.
Narrated tours of Obama's childhood, costing more than $40, are now big business in Honolulu. They stop at the apartment building he grew up in, a favorite lunch hangout and the local ice cream store.
Meanwhile, in the Waikiki Beach tourist shops, vendors are riding the Obama wave.
"We started off with one design, and it just was such a hit we decided to create another design," says Taylor Kwak of Crazy Shirts and T's.
It's all part of the growing Obama brand -- soon to be president but already global celebrity. His family's faces sell millions of magazines, and the paparazzi are making more than the bare minimum on their vacation photos.
And the attention is boosting his hometown of Honolulu. By body surfing at his favorite beach or going out for shaved ice, Obama is now the island's best ambassador.
"Since he is a local boy, he understands the islands and gets out and does the things locals do," says John Monahan of the Hawaii Visitor's and Convention Bureau.
Honolulu already has a thriving tourist industry. The hope is that Obama will help people see the real Hawaii.
