The two OTL examples are Las Vegas and Atlantic City, both are close geographically to southern California and the Northeast (Las Vegas was often described as LA's biggest suburb). So you need to keep in mind the simple geography.
Would that be with or without the 1900 Hurricane?
You can probably get that a half step closer by assuming that a surviving Kingdom of Hawaii would end up with a fairly close relationship to the US, IIRC even before the coup they had an agreement that granted the US access to and basing rights at Pearl Harbor in return for waivers on tariffs and duties on their exports. It might not be quite as close as the Compact of Free Association that the US has with several Pacific nations but I could see free trade and movement of people as being part of it, which greatly simplifies getting the tourists in.Actually, that makes me think of a different scenario that doesn't, technically, fulfill the OP's request: Honolulu as an alt-Las Vegas in a surviving Kingdom of Hawaii.
Yes, you are remembering correctly. The royals did make some moves towards Japan, but my assessment (based on my admittedly limited knowledge) is that these were more about trying (obviously unsuccessfully) to balance out American influence than a serious attempt at alliance. Although who knows exactly what would have happened later. Certainly nowadays there are a lot of Japanese tourists here, so there’s a reasonable possibility that the Kingdom will try to facilitate that as well as mainland tourism.You can probably get that a half step closer by assuming that a surviving Kingdom of Hawaii would end up with a fairly close relationship to the US, IIRC even before the coup they had an agreement that granted the US access to and basing rights at Pearl Harbor in return for waivers on tariffs and duties on their exports. It might not be quite as close as the Compact of Free Association that the US has with several Pacific nations but I could see free trade and movement of people as being part of it, which greatly simplifies getting the tourists in.
Didn't the joke back in the 1980s during the economic boom years use to be that they'd tried invasion and now decided to simply buy they islands? You'd be in a better position to know about how the end of the boom affected the islands.Certainly nowadays there are a lot of Japanese tourists here...
Oh absolutely, their location pretty much mandates it. That's one of its drawbacks compared to Las Vegas – it's much harder to run short gambling junkets from the eastern, or to a lesser extent even the western, US. That throws up the thought that it could change the character of the industry since if it costs more to get there then you might not see it move as much to the more commercialised family-friendly stance as Las Vegas did in our timeline but retain more of an adult high-class one. Alternatively the casinos might just have to subsidise more flights to pack people in, could go either way.... so there’s a reasonable possibility that the Kingdom will try to facilitate that as well as mainland tourism.
Well, not really--I was only a few years old when the bubble burst and also several thousand miles away on the mainland. All I can say is that today Japanese seem to be the most common tourist population other than mainlanders, and are clearly catered to more than any other foreign group aside from those from other English-speaking nations (for obvious reasons).Didn't the joke back in the 1980s during the economic boom years use to be that they'd tried invasion and now decided to simply buy they islands? You'd be in a better position to know about how the end of the boom affected the islands.
On the other hand, Hawai'i IOTL has a pretty "family-friendly" stance despite those drawbacks...I think the attraction of the beaches, weather, and terrain will help pull it away from being purely an "adult playground". Casinos (much less other vice) would be more of a "value add"--surf during the day, gamble at night!--than the primary attraction.Oh absolutely, their location pretty much mandates it. That's one of its drawbacks compared to Las Vegas – it's much harder to run short gambling junkets from the eastern, or to a lesser extent even the western, US. That throws up the thought that it could change the character of the industry since if it costs more to get there then you might not see it move as much to the more commercialised family-friendly stance as Las Vegas did in our timeline but retain more of an adult high-class one. Alternatively the casinos might just have to subsidise more flights to pack people in, could go either way.
Reno does not really change much tho neither would TahooLike I said above, the best candidate for alt-Las Vegas is Reno. Serviced by railroads to points east as well as San Francisco, already considered somewhat morally suspect by outsiders (at least until CA legalizes no-fault in the 1960s, by which time intertia might keep it a Sin City), and already has a bustling hospitality industry. Heck, they already have legal gambling. Sure, it was segregated, but so was Las Vegas.
Another alternative might be Key West, Florida, to a limited extent. Close enough to Miami once the land boom comes in, a history of being somewhat of a frontier community, and close enough to Cuba that until Castro anyone that gets in trouble with Tallahassee can simply lay low in Havana for awhile.
Salt Lake City, in a universe where the Mormons made it to California or Oregon?
New Orleans would have a head start. As a port city it has a long history of providing whatever entertainment the ship crews wanted. You then add in rich planters and merchants traveling to New Orleans on business and then fun without the people back home knowing what they were doing. It is part of the culture of New Orleans.
Doesn't Honolulu have a long tradition for strict vice control? They don't even participate in the PowerBall lottery.
Ah right, don't know why but for some reason I was under the impression that you were a native – well not native native, but you know what I mean – Hawaiian.Well, not really--I was only a few years old when the bubble burst and also several thousand miles away on the mainland.