With visitors in an uproar. What are your feelings about the fee proposed by Green in addition and all of the other Hawaii taxes and fees?
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270 thoughts on “Updated: $50 Hawaii Visitor Fee & Reducing Tourists Confirmed By Next Governor”
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Is this a “Govenor Green” fee or an enviromental “Green Fee?” If Environmental, the fee should absolutely be applied to residents and visitors alike. The state residents are creating all forms of “pollution” 365 days/yr, but most tourists are there 7 days/yr.
Having visited the islands 4 times in the last 12 years, I agree there are more tourists than most the islands can accommodate easily, but that is the case everywhere, including all the national parks I’ve visited in the past 12 months: Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Acadia, Rocky Mountain. While they have entrance fees, which are far less than $50pp & fees are the same for everyone regardless of the state residency. HI lodging tax is high enough and should cover “tourist damage.”
Our island is not a play ground for tourist that come here to frolick and have a big ‘ole party. We the residents of Hawaii don’t want unwanted visitors running a muck all over our island. It’s a code of conduct kind of thing we need to educate our tourist on, but why? Because it’s a problem, come on people. I’m sure if this were happening in your back yard how would you like it?
2:1 reduction on rooms. All new hotel construction should require a reduction of 2 rooms to permit the construction of 1 new room. This does a few things
1. Removes old and out-of-date hotel product from the market
2. Increases the tax base
3. Increases the quality of the consumer visiting Hawaii (generally will have higher disposable income, more inclined to spend more per visitor with less strain on infastructure)
4. Pushes up the rev par/ADR by removing lower quality product and rooms from market
Hawaii government is completely inept, untrustworthy and corrupt. Putting more money in the hands of these government officials is like giving $100 to a child before entering a candy shop and telling them to spend their money wisely.
So if we go on a multi-island vacation, are we expected to pay the fee on each island?
Let’s just say this is for non-residents…
What if I’m not coming to “visit” but I’m coming to do business? Or my family already lives in HI and I’m living with them off and on? Or I own property but I don’t live there 100% of the time.
And the biggest question, what in the heck are you gong to do with all that money?
Did you not read this post? The money hopefully will put local families at the forefront instead of in the back. Affordable homes sounds good to me. We need more affordable everything here in the islands. Being born and raised in Hawaii from generations and generations, we are being pushed out due to the rise in food, gas, real-estate etc. Why? Because of foreign investors buying all our land and resources. So yes we need the extra money implemented for our economy for more affordable homes, to protect our environment and better Healthcare and education for our local residents of Hawaii and if this idea turns people off then I think that’s the whole idea of it, to lessen the amount of people arriving into our islands daily.
I would pay a special visitor environment impact fee to help protect Hawaii beach, wildlife etc. I would spend a day or half day of my visit volunteering for the privilege of visiting Hawaii again. I visited Oahu with one son and then the big island with my other son. My sons agree with me to preserve Hawaii for future generations. Aloha, mahalo
Great. Maybe you should also pay a green fee at every airport you stopped at, every state you fly over, and every place you bought a drink when you traveled? How about an extra $700 per person. When does it stop?
We’ve been coming to Waikiki for 8 years, sometimes twice a year.
I can’t see how another 350 million per year is going to solve the impact tourism has had. Impacts are more far reaching then just tourism, Growing population, over development to list a couple. Our current trip is probably our last to Waikiki as it’s gotten too crowded, too loud from street performers, cars, motorcycle s with little or no exhaust or “gun sound” blasting exhaust, all taking away from a relaxing time.
Good luck with the tax idea. I’m out most likely anyway, back to S Florida maybe.
Thank you for seeing our island and it’s people for what they truly are. Respect our people and culture when visiting to Hawaii.
Hawaii is just not tourist-friemdly anymore. With high prices for lodging, restaurants and car rentals And a distinct lack of desire for our business, why go to Hawaii? Go to Mexico, a cruise in the Caribbean or some island in the Caribbean that actually wants your business And do it at a reasonable price.
Well yes everything here in Hawaii is expensive. This is why Josh Green is implementing this travel fee for tourist. I’m hoping this gets approved, we truly need to find a solution that will boost our local economy for our our local communities.
But how will your economy get boosted if we can no longer afford because your State and Counties are Nickel and Diming us to death? If we stay away then what happens? We are already being taxed to death with almost 20% on top of our stay. My family and I have been coming since 1995 and this is seriously taking all the Joy out of the Happiest Place on Earth.
I feel there should be no fees or taxes without clear and explicit accountability where the money goes. I think if I’m paying for parking at the beach, paying daily per head for my family to be on the beach, paying to “look at the view”, excessive car and vacation stay fees, and now green fee, I want to know exactly what improvements have been made with these collected taxes and fees. Definitely it should be a yearly report and made available when you arrive at the airport! Hawaii seems to be a money pit. There’s a heck of a lot of money coming in from existing excessive charges, but a mystery where it goes.
Alpha Rob,
Does this fee apply to inter-island travel? Also, if it does, does that mean you pay it both directions? The hypothetical is this: we are a family of four and we live on O’ahu and want to visit friends/family on BI. Would it be $200 each leg ($400 roundtrip) extra for this hypothetical?
This would be a horrible idea for residents. Lots of people on Moloka’i have to travel to/from Maui and O’ahu for medical treatment on a regular basis. Contractors do inter-island work often. That extra $50 per person? They will pass that onto the customer.
This plans wreaks of failure.
Hopefully it’s only out of state visitors and not residents. We’re already paying high taxes plus paying for the rail. A big disaster!
Kapiolani: if this comes to pass they would have to apply it equitably. If they limit it to only visitors they run the risk of violating the 14th Amendment. There are better ways to generate income than this concept. We pay elected officials to apply critical thinking to address and solve problems. They are doing neither with this proposal. And if it does pass, the state will get litigated snd end up costing more money.
If, and that is a very big “if,” thr state could show tangible progress from this tax then I might consider it….but we have a horrible track record here with politicians and their management of our tax dollars. It reminds me of living in/near Chicago, except the people are nice here and the view from my window is better.
Ah. So this is how we are going to finance the boondoggle of “the train” here on O’ahu. I knew we’d find a way to pay for the $3bn, no $5bn, no $9bn, no wait, I think it is somewhere between $11-12bn now, train.
Residents should not have to pay this fee.
As a frequent visitor & past resident, I’d be happy to pay the fee IF (and it’s a big one) the funds can be managed appropriately and will truly go to help with environmental impact, affordable housing or improvements that aid residents.
Agree! I feel like the biggest problem with this is “will it be handled correctly”. We too are frequent visitors and love the Islands. I’ve been told by locals that there is a lot of corruption in the government there. Nothing new in a lot of places for sure.I would hope something like this (if implemented) is done correctly, not only for the residents but all the visitor’s as well.
If I am going to be charged $50 to visit family in Hawaii, then all those in Hawaii should pay a fee every time they leave the island. One for mainland and one for every state they go too. Last I checked Hawaii was part of the USA which all citizens were allowed to travel to without any type of fees.
A one time a year fee would make it fair for both residents and visitors. I also feel locals shouldn’t pay full fee. Locals should pay 50% or less of what visitors should pay.
41% of tourists come as famies.
$200.00 added to cost.
This emotional child policy will hurt hundreds of local families.
As a native Hawaiian that lives on the mainland because her homeland is overrun by foreign investors and could no longer afford to live and thrive on her ‘aina- this fee is highly offensive.
I come home multiple times every year because I need to connect with the land and my people. Charging us to visit our own home where our ancestors ‘iwi lie is not only wrong but another criminal way for foreigners to continue to steal from us. Who does Green think he is anyway? No. We don’t pay a fee for our birthright. Not now and not ever!
As a resident of Maui I find this difficult to put in place. It absolutely can’t happen at the airport. Everytime I leave and come home I have to pay $50?! No, that’s not ok. With Hawaiis political history, I don’t trust where the money will go. We need to have a balance and understand tourism is our #1 industry. Without it, Hawaii is bankrupt. Sure, there are jerks but not only tourists. It’s not the tourists who abandon their cars, washing machines, graffiti signs etc. Parks should up their fees, better enforce tourists who walk beyond “do not cross” signs and/or are disrespectful to our environment or families. Our tax rates should easily cover everything else.
We were 1st time visitors to Maui in September. We were shocked @ the trash, abandoned rusting cars, washing machines, etc we saw! I know tourists are largely vilified in HI but we don’t leave those environmental eyesores!
How would the Residents of the island survive without the revenue from island tourism? I think the islands economy may collapse. What would happen should the $50 fee per person be in acted? Maybe, island tourist would decide to go to other islands altogether. Maybe, vacationers will decide to go to Florida instead. I think this proposal should be revisited. This does not make “cents” for Hawaii and Hawaiians.
Hawaii would be a better place to visit with half the tourist. Make the visitor fee $100.
As longtime (30+ years) visitors to Hawaii I, my wife, and adult children are all comfortable saying that the $100 tourist reduction fee is the final straw that finally and forever broken our backs. Our final visit will be this December and then done. It’s not that we can’t afford it; it just seems wrong to pile taxes and fees on visitors when tourism is the only thing Hawaii has going for it.
Mahalo
As a long time visitor I agree. The us versus them attitude, the increased taxes on lodging and car rentals, beach parking fees, and now a visitor. Plus a fee needing to reserve & pay for passes drive up to certain areas of some islands. This is indeed the straw that broke the camels back. Winter trip off the table now. Last night we discussed changing our spring getaway to the US Virgin Islands when I started pricing I told him absolutely the way to go.
You have missed the mark with your comment “tourism is the only thing Hawaii has going for it”. You and your family have visited for 30+ years, it’s hard to believe that you have no connection to the culture, history and beautiful people that reside there.
Where do you think money comes from? Hawaii agriculture is dead. What does Hawaii export? Money comes into the State from the military and tourism. Money leaves the State to pay for all that we import, such as food, clothing, building materials, cars, fuel. We cannot afford to be cavalier about tourism. To say, “that’s all we’ve got” is not a criticism of the beauty of the place. It’s a statement of the economic reality. If we kill tourism with increasing disincentives, tourists will take their money to other vacation spots happily and so would I.
It seems odd that Hawaii wants to impose a tax on people that visit about that are from another state of the United States. I have visited Hawaii three times and I know that the motel hotel tax and other absorbent taxes exist already in hawaii. You have to wonder how those funds are being spent and why they want to impose a tax on people that bring income to the state and to the local businesses. I truly enjoy Hawaii but I also enjoy other states which don’t impose such a tax. For example we just recently visited Idaho Wyoming and montana. We visited many places of interest and that includes Yellowstone park. I don’t think that anything in Hawaii anymore beautiful than Yellowstone each place has its uniqueness. It seems contrary.
Before anyone advocating a “visitor fee” jumps to any conclusions, I recommend they do an examination of the US Interstate Commerce Act and amendments. Especially note the provisions prohibiting “restrsint of trade” in interstate commerce, and the penalties related thereto.
All governments need a way to fund the retirement plans for their former “employees”. The taxes never go to the projects that are originally mentioned. Lots of pie in the sky promised but nothing accomplished. Then the government pit the people against each other. Residents vs tourist, property owners vs renters, etc. The end result is more money stolen by the government from the people and none of the promises kept, except to their retired employees. And now the retired employees comments about how low their pensions are.
Very sad news to us, but I see why. We’ve traveled to Maui, since 2004, as frugally as we can. I find the cheapest flights, as low as $125 each way, & buy our groceries at a small market by the airport & Safeway so I can cook at “home”. We are not rich, like many residents & visitors. The additional fees that the island’s charge the less people will visit, & if that’s what the main goal is it might work. That’s one reason, that rental cars cost more than they did 6 years because of the additional fees attached, specifically before Covid. I feel bad for the resident’s because they’ve been mostly raised to rely on income that visitors bring to the islands. Unfortunately, these costs will keep us from visiting after 2023. Mahalo & Aloha.
This is definitely unconstitutional.
Us residents are going to be paying out for yet another thing now. Maybe finish the projects that are currently ongoing first and stop the corruption.
A $50 per person fee will keep families from visiting. Who takes boat trips to snorkel? Adults with children. Families will go to mainland attractions to avoid the high cost of Hawaii.Honeymooners and retirees are left. Retirees have seen Hawaii’s pay attractions and have no desire for repeating them. , Businesses will lose customers in the long run.
Isn’t there a constitutional provision the prohibits impeding travel between the states? Would Hawaii locals want to pay at tax to visit the mainland? That there seems to be no accountability for funds that would be collected, this whole idea seems to be a political money grab.
The state collects a fortune in revenue from the visitor industry. Covid caused enough reduction in tourism to prove that visitors aren’t the source of Hawaii’s ills. The residents who depend on visitors for their income and livelihood should be outraged by this political cheap trick.
The problem doesn’t seem to be how much to charge the tourists but how to make the state government more responsible for correctly disbursing all the tax money it receives. If their goal is to prevent tourists from coming, who is going to spend all the money needed to keep the businesses open? I have friends in Hawaii that don’t eat out often or go to a local hotel. These businesses depend on tourists. Maybe a COVID type shut-down is what the govenor needs to prevent tourists from coming.p
We love your beautiful islands and have always respected your land as if it were our own. It saddens me to hear all the blame being placed on tourists. I remember reading an article during covid saying that since the tourists were no longer coming ~Hawaiians were realizing not all problems were created by tourists. Hopefully we can find a balance as we are also considering other vacation venues.
It appears to me that Hawaii’s leadership wants only the very rich to visit. Taxes and fees are at least a third of staggering car rental costs. And 18% lodging tax. I love Hawaii, love aloha, love the physiical beauty and history.
We’ve been coming for 40 years, and our upcoming trip will be the last. It’s simply unconscionable to spend so much on a vacation. We could afford it, but I hate the elitism it represents.
Not legal.
I think, if there needs to be a visitor fee, that it be paid at tourist attractions, or major hotels. There are some(like me) that visit multiple times per year to visit family; grandchildren, but stay at a vacation rental for privacy. We seldom do anything “touristy” and it is expensive enough just trying to visit & will affect how often i can visit my family. Thank you for letting me voice my concern.
I believe fees can be charged at accomadations other than residential homes. For example, any home that wants to rent out using air bnb or equivalent, bed and breakfast type homes, and hotels. It should also be charged at beaches and any visitor area. Places that are off limit should be off limit. If someone visits and only eats at restaurants, I don’t think they should have to pay to keep beaches or parks clean. It’s the homeless and drug addicts that are leaving majority of rubish as well. I don’t think we need to pay just to be alive and have to fly for medical reasons. Fee’s will make people choose worst health over important needs. If they want to charge us for flying then they should charge ships bringing in illegal fireworks/drugs.
As long as the money goes where it’s supposed to go, I don’t have a problem with it.
Just the mention of the 50.00 fee is working. Maui is being so overwhelmed by tourists that it’s destroying what made Maui so magical in the first place. So yea better go someplace else and leave Maui to those who really want and understand what Maui is/was all about.
On our recent trip to Maui we noticed a dozen or so vagrants hanging out at the entrance to the closed Longhi’s restaurant in Lahaina. They were smoking, drinking, and using profanity. Is this what Maui “is/was all about?”
Not at all, sad if that’s how you view it.
“They were smoking, drinking, and using profanity”
That’s what we call Tuesday
There should be no fees or taxes without clear and explicit accountability where the money goes. I think if I’m paying for parking at the beach, paying daily per head for my family to be on the beach, paying to “look at the view”, excessive car and vacation stay fees, and now green fee, I want to know exactly what improvements have been made with these collected taxes and fees. Definitely it should be a yearly report and made available when you arrive at the airport! Hawaii seems to be a money pit. There’s a heck of a lot of money coming in from existing excessive charges, but a mystery where it goes.
Corrupt government my dude.
They will never tell you what they actually spend the money on.
I know where it doesn’t go, to clean up the streets, if one is in Waikiki, one block off Kalakaua, is Kuhio, if one goes to the Foodland, you’ll be passing a gauntlet of barefoot homeless with open bleeding sires on their legs and feet, so be sure, not to be barefoot, this is 1 Block from the Moana, Hyatt, Kaialana, every day, any time of day, that’s on the State and residents, not Tourists. If one takes the Nimitz in from the Airport rather then H-1, just before Sand Island, will be a series of bridges all at Sea level, with maybe 3′ clearance, look to your left as the unfortunates who live beneath them come out and work their way to Honolulu and beyond. This is on Governor Ige, his predecessors as has been there since 1986!
Completely wrong headed with no positive environmental impact. Why doesn’t the governor just say,”we don’t want you here.” We will accommodate such policy while watching the state starve and sink into the ocean as the sea rises.
Multiple tons of carbon are released every year as the islands are served by a never ending supply chain of ships and planes arrive these most isolated islands on Earth.
50 bucks ain’t gonna cut it. Rethinking the occupation of the islands may. In any case Nature will take of it in the end.
Of course charge a visitor fee.No brainer
That’s $400 for a family of four that will not be spent to help the local economy for a problem created by government approving too many vacation rentals. Why is the government’s solution to problems usually just more fees and taxes.
As a frequent visitor to Hawaii (Maui) your idea of a “Visitor fee” is appalling. My husband and I always spend money on the island to help support locals and local businesses. We also try and plan our excursions around local businesses and conservation companies(Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui Ocean Center) I live in Las Vegas which is also a tourist destination and we as locals rely on tourism. As a city we would not charge a visitor fee as we are hopeful that people will spend money here to boost our economy, help keep locals employed, and keep businesses afloat.
Of course charge a visitor fee.No brainer From reading previous comments the fee which is partly to reduce the number of tourists would achieve that goal and raise money to finance changes protecting our state from the over tourism Venice is a good example of this.
Do you really believe that compromising Hawaiis number one industry will benefit the residents of Hawaii?
It’s already costing me an arm and a leg to visit my beloved Kauai… but I’m running out of limbs. While I do feel like use fees for parks, etc. make sense, but to charge a hefty $50 fee when I step foot on the island just because I’m labeled a visitor doesn’t make sense.
I live in a tourist state…Nevada. guess we should start charging anyone from Hawaii a tourist fee too. We made numerous vacations in Hawaii. It was always so wonderful. But now with all the extra taxes and fees added to room rates as we’ll as car rental fees, I guess ill never get back. My granddaughter has begged to go. But it’s just priced way out of my budget now. Goodbye Hawaii.
We have spent a fortune on our trips there. That should be enough. We will take our money and go elsewhere.
It should be reciprocal if implemented. Hawaii residents visiting other states should then pay $50 fee. Let’s call it carbon offset fee, it’s a long flight with a lot of carbon emissions.