Polynesian Adventure Tours

Polynesian Adventure Tours, Inc. (co-branded as Gray Line Hawaii, also known as PolyAd) is a tour and transportation company in Hawaii. PolyAd was founded in 1977 by Bob George and his partner Don Brown who started the company as an operator of van sightseeing tours in Waikiki. PolyAd specializes in personalized tours that utilize drivers as narrators and guides. In 2017 PolyAd was acquired by California based Transportation Charter Services (TCS). Polynesian Adventure Tours maintains offices on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, The Big Island and provides tours to Hawaiian landmarks.[1]

Polynesian Adventure Tours (PolyAd)
Founded1977
Headquarters2880 Kilihau Street Honolulu, Hawaii
Service areaOahu, Maui, Hawaii (island), Kauai
Service typeTour bus service, Coach (bus), airport shuttle, school bus contractor
AllianceInternational Motorcoach Group
Chief executiveTerry Fischer
Websitepolyad.com

Polynesian Adventure Tours is also the parent company of the Luau Kalamaku, a theatrical hula show and dinner experience held at Kilohana Plantation in Lihue, Kauai.[2]

History

Polynesian Adventure Tours was founded in 1977 by Bob George and Don Brown, with a small fleet of vans. The founders sold the company in 1986, to Atak Management Corporation, owned by Japanese-American businessman, Shig Katayama.[3] Don Brown left the company and Bob George remained as Director of Sales. The company's fleet was expanded with the addition of motorcoaches and minibuses on Oahu, and bases operating sightseeing vans on the islands of Hawaii, Maui and Kauai.

On August 1996, the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii approved the sale of Gray Line Hawaii, Ltd.'s PUC-issued authority "to provide services as a common carrier by motor vehicle in the over-twenty-five passenger classifications on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai" to Polynesian Adventure Tours, Inc.[4] This allowed Polyad to further expand its motorcoach and minibus fleet to the islands outside of Oahu.

In October 2017, Poly Ad was acquired by Orange County, California based Transportation Charter Services (TCS) from Norwegian Cruise Lines. Shortly thereafter, the company began a comprehensive fleet modernization program, including the acquisition of new, luxury mini-coaches for use in a new category of premium tours [5]

Awards

Polynesian Adventure Tours – Gray Line Hawaii has been recognized as Metro Magazine's 10 Innovative Motorcoach Operators in 2006[6] and is consistently in the Top 50 Motorcoach Operators list.[7] The company was also the recipient of Gray Line Worldwide's Market Development Award in 2008.[8]

References
  1. About Us, Polynesian Adventure Tours
  2. Brian Balderrama. "Luau Kalamaku". Polynesian Adventure Tours. Polynesian Adventure Tours. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  3. Norwegian Cruise buys Polynesian tour bus line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, November 17, 2004
  4. In the Matter of the Application of GRAY LINE HAWAI'I, LTD. For Permanent Approval to Bifurcate Its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity etc., State of Hawaii Supreme Court, March 30, 2000, archived from the original on June 16, 2011, retrieved 2009-05-20
  5. Lynley Minamoto (28 November 2017). "Leading Hawaii Tour and Transportation Company Polynesian Adventure Tours Announces Fleet Modernization Program and New Visual Branding". PR Newswire. Cision. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  6. Metro Magazine January 2006
  7. Metro Magazine January 2009
  8. Gray Line World Wide Selects Gray Line Hawaii for the 2008 Market Development Award, Polynesian Adventure Tours, April 8, 2009, archived from the original on May 22, 2009, retrieved 2009-05-20
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