Here's why we love Recession Travel Rule No. 11: Tourist boards can point you toward a destination's best deals, and help structure your trip with discounted activities, too.

The Hawaiian islands have a great track record on this front. Big Island Visitor Bureau, for instance, just announced a slew of new perks and free-night deals for hotels and condos.  One-family-friendly option that caught our eye: The all-inclusive Kona Village, which is offering an attention-getting $800 airfare credit and an upgrade from a room to a thatched-roof bungalow if you travel through December 19, bringing the total savings to more than $1,500. The place is fairly plush—digs for a family of four start at over $500 a night, but that price includes all meals and most activities, such as the daily kids' program, or snorkeling or kayaking along the 82 acres of secluded coastline (and speaking of secluded, guest rooms have no TVs). 

Even if you already have a hotel booked, check out the visitor bureau's site for discounted activities: Kohala Kayak, for instance, is offering a deal commemorating Hawaii's 50th anniversary of statehood. Its three-hour kayaking and snorkeling tour (good for swimmers ages 6 and up) will cost $59 for the rest of this year, down from $79. That translates to a not-too-shabby $80 savings for a family of four.