"Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite". Image courtesy of frank54.com

Elvis boards U.S.S. Matsonia bound for Hawaii in 1957. Image courtesy of elvisinhawaii.com

Elvis waves to fans as U.S.S. Matsonia docks in Honolulu Harbour. Image courtesy of elvisinhawaii.com

Elvis, a fan and Colonel Tom Parker - 9 November 1957. Image courtesy of elvisinhawaii.com

Joan Blackman and Elvis in “Blue Hawaii”. Image courtesy of elvis.com.au

Horseriding with the "Blue Hawaii" cast. Image courtesy of elvis.com.au

Elvis on the Lanai of room 14a at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Image courtesy of elvis.com.au

Elvis and "Uncle" Tom Moffatt

Elvis and Priscilla on holidays – 1968

Elvis and Priscilla on holidays – 1968

"Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii" - 1973

It’s no secret that Elvis loved the Hawaiian Islands. He shared this love with the world through movies, concerts and songs and some believe he can be attributed to the growth in travel to the region.

“I think it began with the movie, ‘Blue Hawaii’. People got a chance to see a Hawaii that they’d never seen before,” former radio DJ and Hawaiian entertainment legend Tom Moffatt said in an exclusive interview with e-Travel Blackboard.

“A lot of people were attracted to Hawaii because of Elvis and all of a sudden they’re seeing the most beautiful place in the world. I think that Elvis and ‘Blue Hawaii’ opened up Hawaii to the world.”

His twenty-year love affair with the fiftieth state began in November 1957 when he boarded the U.S.S Matsonia for Honolulu and set his eyes upon the then newly launched Hilton Hawaiian Village.

This resort would be his home each time he visited the islands and room 14a in the then Ocean Tower (now the Ali’i Tower) would become synonymous with the King.

He performed three concerts during this first visit to Hawaii, at Honolulu Stadium and Schofield Barracks...the King had arrived...

“The stage was a boxing ring without the ropes. His lights were the overhead lights of the boxing ring. The sound was pretty basic but his talent...wow! He didn’t have all the toys that performers have today. He was just raw talent on stage,” Uncle Tom said when asked about Elvis’ first concert at Honolulu Stadium.

On 25 March 1961, Elvis returned to the Islands to perform at the Bloch Arena at Pearl Harbour to raise funds for the U.S.S. Arizona memorial in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the surprise attack by the Japanese on 7 December 1941.

In response to a callout by Hawaiian journalists, Elvis agreed to perform in a benefit concert to aid in the completion of the memorial.

More than 4,000 fans attended the concert, with tickets ranging from USD$3 to USD$100 with over USD$54,000 raised towards the half a million dollar goal initially set.

“Every penny of that taken in must go to the fund,” Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker said.

“Otherwise we are not interested in doing the show.”

Chairman of the memorial fund commission H. Tucker Gratz said that no-one would receive a free ticket to the show including Elvis and the all-star line up of performers.

Colonel Parker and Elvis paid for each performer out of their own pockets and donated all expenses along with purchasing an additional 50 tickets for patients of Tripler Hospital.

A short time later, Elvis started filming the classic movie, “Blue Hawaii” for Paramount Studios, which was shot on the islands of Oahu and Kauai.

With songs including the title song, “Blue Hawaii”, “Rock a Hula Baby”, “The Hawaiian Wedding Song” and the renowned “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, it was a surefire hit and one of Elvis’ most popular movies and soundtracks to date.

Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai was immortalised in this film and is perhaps best remembered as the backdrop of the wedding scene.

Struck by Hurricane Iniki in September 1992, the Coco Palms was shut down indefinitely as repairs proved too costly and the entire island struggled with recession.

The property, located on the southeast shore of Kauai, has been rumoured to have many prospective buyers over the years but remains in disrepair.

In the spirit of back-to-back movies, Elvis started filming “Girls, Girls, Girls” on 9 April 1962 at The Bumble Bee Tuna Company near Waikiki Beach and the Ala Wai Yacht Harbour before heading to Paramount Studios in Hollywood to film the interior scenes.

He was mobbed by so many fans on arrival into Hawaii for the film, that he lost his diamond ring, a tie clip and his watch!

“Paradise Hawaiian Style” was Elvis’ twenty-first film and the final one to be shot in Hawaii.

With scenes filmed in the popular Polynesian Cultural Centre and featuring songs including “This is my Heaven” and “Queenie Wahine’s Papaya”, the film did not achieve its goal of surpassing the success of “Blue Hawaii”.

It was while filming “Paradise Hawaiian Style” that he visited the now completed U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and placed a wreath there, sending away the photographers and journalists who rushed to the site to record the event. This was a private moment for a man who’s life was primarily spent in the public eye.

Elvis not only worked in Hawaii but it was also his chosen holiday destination.

Many a vacation was spent there including a family trip on 18 May 1968 with Priscilla and Lisa Marie and again on 4 May 1969 when they flew commercial to the Islands with a group of friends and booked under the name, the Carpenters after Elvis’ character in “Change of Habit”.

The Presleys returned to Hawaii on 5 October 1969 with Elvis’ father Vernon and stepmother Dee and their friends on a trip paid for by the International Hotel.

He spent what would be his last vacation on the Islands, checking into the Rainbow Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village on 4 March 1977 with his then girlfriend Ginger Alden and some friends before moving into a beach house at Kailua on the west-side of Oahu.

Perhaps Elvis’ most well remembered moment in Hawaii was when he ventured off the mainland for the history making “Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite” concert to raise funds for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.

Performed at the Honolulu International Center Arena on 14 January 1973 at 12:30am local time, the concert was beamed via satellite to countries including Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines and via delayed broadcast to over forty other countries around the world.

Aired in the U.S. on 4 April, it was viewed by nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide, a television and entertainment industry record and a global success.

Featuring montages of Hawaii and footage of Elvis flying into Honolulu with the famous Hilton Hawaiian Village Rainbow tower in the background, this concert highlighted Elvis’ love affair with the islands.

Of all the places in the world that he could have selected to perform this history-making concert, he chose his beloved Hawaii.

Tourists continue to visit the Islands to lay wreaths at Elvis’ statue outside the Arena and to embark on a variety of Elvis tours on offer.

Major celebrations are planned in January 2013 surrounding the 40th anniversary of “Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite” with Elvis Presley Enterprises and Hilton Hawaiian Village offering special Aloha deals for the fans who will be converging from around the world for the event.