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”
Just another fee with the money going where? I live here and feel sorry for the people who visit. They are not welcome. There are plenty of beautiful places to visit. Can’t wait to get out of here
Just came off a Hawaiian cruise. It gave us a chance to visit some of our favorite spots without dealing with the exorbitant fees that seem to be continually piling up. I tried to patronize local businesses at each stop. Shop owners and locals were so friendly! In Kauai, we rented a car and took a drive up Waimea Canyon. We had to pay an entrance fee for the car and then for each person in our car (locals did not). I get it. I live in a popular tourist destination, as well. But the higher up the canyon we went, the worse the road became. There absolutely should be accountability for the money that is already being collected before they stick everyone with an additional $50 per head.
It should not be a big issue as long as this is a one time fee – nickle and dimeing visitors will kill your tourism
Assuming there’s a need and the money will roughly go to the declared need, just increase the occupancy tax.
Money has to be collected. No one wants to pay. Though, when we get past that, “nickel and diming” people is just aggravating. No one wants to be aggravated on vacation. It’s a stupid approach.
I live and work near a snorkeling area on the Big Island that has become detrimentally over impacted. ( to the reef and the local community) I believe this area needs to be regulated. There needs to be a moratorium on the impacts so that the reef can regenerate. Another option could be a lottery system for visitors and not residents to lower the daily numbers of visitors.
I simply don’t understand why any state would want to destroy their main source of revenue. I’ve been coming to the islands since the 1970’s. I’ve made 18 visits and always support the local economy. For the 1st time, I’ve canceled my trip to Molokai. Nearly $1000 a week to rent a car? $1500 A week for a condo? Then you want to add an additional green fee for simply visiting? For those of us who visit on a regular basis, $50 won’t make or break us. But there comes a time that the Consumer has to simply say, enough is enough. My dollar will be spent in the Caribbean in 2023 and Alaska in 2024. The $10,000 I spend on each trip may be a drop in the bucket, but it’s $180,000 spent on Hawaii that is apparently not wanted.
I love Hawaii, I’ve been a few times and it has always been a fantastic experience. With everything going on in Hawaii; high fees for car rentals, accommodations, beach and parking fees and now a tax to visit the islands I say good riddance to Hawaii. It’s a beautiful place but there are so many beautiful places to see in this world and more economical places to spend my money that Hawaii will no longer be on that list.
And I thought the last governor was bad. I guess we will taking our two trips per year to somewhere that wants us.
Since coal providing 11% of our energy has been banned without a replacement,electricity will cost Hawaii residents more. Use these fees to subsidises their electric bills.Only millionaires in our Senate go along with green programs.Hawaii has the highest prices in the country.Our politicians don’t care making it even more expensive to survive here.They only want to satisfy their green agenda.
How about a abuse fee to the state for the hardships they created on the citizens and local businesses
The anointed one- Green.
And with the Emergency Use Powers still in full force, there’s no stopping his power (or ego).
All the politicians seem to be able to do in Hawaii is tax and spend. And as you so truthfully pointed out, there is no accountability.
Stop bleeding us all (as well as the tourists we so foolishly economically depend upon) to death.
We have to just say no.
This is literally one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read.
The one thing he is right about is that this will drive more people away from visiting Hawaii. And no accountability on where the money goes.
Aloha!
I was against any fee singling out a status of a person whether a resident or non-resident but the counties and state continued to approve fees to make up for all the losses during the pandemic. So for non-residents who didn’t spend money in Hawaii during COVID, you are paying for it now. What really is sad is many residents have moved to the mainland because it’s been too expensive to live here. Now they may have to pay a $50 per person fee to visit grandparents, aunties and uncles. That’s unconscionable!!
This reminds me of how local municipalities now charge people transactional KY for emergency services:
1.have health scare
2. call 911
3. paramedics show up
4. go to the hospital
5. you live (yay!)
6. go home
7. get a bill (what!?#*@?!)
Movements away from collectively paid services feels regressive for community and society. Is this the end game for us? Is it all just transactional?
Lodging in Hawaii has gotten so expensive that it’s hard to justify visiting there anymore. Add more fees and anti-tourism policies and attitudes and there will definitely be less travel to the islands, which some residents obviously will be happy about. There are plenty of beautiful places in the world to visit besides Hawaii. Does anyone remember “Come Back to Jamaica”? In the future there will probably be a “Come Back to Hawaii” campaign!
The lesson covid should have taught us is if No tourists, and No military, Hawaii Nei becomes worse than a Third World nation ! We should Stop nickle n diming tourists for everything. A $ 15 dollar fee should be sufficient! This $ 50 nonsense is Shibai, the Tourists get ripped off enough already. Bogus resort fees, having to pay parking at a hotel is ridiculous.
Hawaii is already non-competitive, pricewise, taxwise, and resortwise. Most of the accommodations are 50-60 years old, in tired buildings. The restaurants are mediocre at best, and overpriced in most cases.
Compare that to all you can eat and drink resorts in the Carribean, that are 5-10 years old, for 1/3 of the price and without the 5-10 hour flight to get there.
The spirit of Aloha no longer carries what it once did.
I pulled plans to visit this fall early winter due to all of the additional fees. Talked with the hubs about planned spring travel to Kauai and he suggested US Virgin Islands instead. So I did a price comparison. Kauai one week in the spring with budget accommodations $3,000 without added parking fees, green fees etc. Luxury accommodations $6531.00. St Thomas same week $1884 budget accommodations with airfare and car included. Luxury accommodations with car & airfare $2500. No brainer.
We pulled as well. Usual 10 day trip over thanksgiving. Love Hawaii lives there almost 20 years but this is just a money grab by everyone. It’s there right to charge what they want but at some point it’s too much. And yes many facilities are old and tired and charge premium rates. The value isn’t there anymore and it painful not to go as we have have our home here in AZ known has the Hawaii house by neighbors for all our art work and decor.
Everyone’s been fat and happy over the last decade especially the last few years. They forgot how bad it is when the recession and possibly depression upcoming hits. It’s just the first inning and it’s not going to be pretty. But history repeats itself as usual so nothing new.
Stocks down, housing dropping, prices of everything way up. Should be fun.
Have two friends still in Business in Maui and Oahu, both blame Ige and the Hawaiian Government for their handling, Lockdowns and Masks, he hamstrung the Independent Business people, their employee’s, this after his Nuclear Attack Warning in Waikiki in January ’19. Hawaii’s Unemployment Compensation is over $500,000,000.00 upside down, Ige using Fed $ to keep Locals from working through the ‘Fear’ of Covid, follows the pattern of other States, like NY, NJ, Illinois, California, where businesses were decimated, and now the populace is looking for answers, that they only throw $ at, that we no longer have, without Energy and Farm Independence, try and find a Turkey at the Grocer, No birds in the bin!
Maybe Hawaii should do with Disneyland does: pick each arriving person up by their ankles and shake them vigorously until all their pockets are empty.
This sort of thing really makes me feel unwelcome as a visitor. My husband I I were married in Maui and have made yearly trips there to celebrate our marriage ever since. Over the years, it has become increasingly apparent that visitors are seen as nothing more than a blight to the state. I think the residents (and apparently those in government) forget that tourism accounts for a large portion of the state’s revenue because it seems like they want to shut it down completely. So sad.
The Shaka shake 🙂
Hmmmwe get a lot of visitors here in Arizona. Lots of snow birds. I think a desert fee of $35 a day would work. Drinking our water here and deploying those resources taking showers, maybe a shower fee. Pollution here is bad maybe a clean air fee of $15 a day for car rentals. Running AC doesn’t help $10 a day for that. Gila monster fee taking space away from our state animal $8 a day. Scorpion and or snake bite few for emergency services $12 a day. Humidity fee it is dry here but peoples breathing causes more humidity that’s $5 a day. Parking lot fee parking in and around stores causes issues for locals $20. Reaturtant isage fee your taking my possible seat so that’s an inconvenience that’s $18 a day.
If Green’s visitor fee proposal is found constitutional than expect other states in the union to adopt the same fee’s, but as it stands it will be found unconstitutional.
Next he’ll tell Hawaiians if elected they’ll receive 2 cans of Spam in every pot.
I am envisioning all the toll sensors installed on every single road that crosses a state line. Both sides of the line, too. Plus along the Canadian and Mexican borders. And, don’t let the Cnuckleheads think they can get away paying in Canadian dollars.
It seems most island residents dont want or like tourists. So ban them all together see how they like it then.
I admit, it was awesome here on Kauai over the winter of 2020-21 with so few tourists on the roads. Beaches wide open. Could always get a seat at the bar. Except the long line of vehicles at the food bank was not so awesome
It should be $100 and visitors must prepay for EMS & Rescue services too. Mahalo
There’s even a better solution – let’s ask the crooked politicians who nice people of Hawaii seem to refuse to vote out, what they’re doing with TAT and GET? Not to mention some of the highest progressive taxes in US. Oh, and since we’re at it, remind them of the failed wasteful rail project. All together it’s a whole lotta doe.
I’m for the $50 tourist fee to help control tourism and its effects on Hawaii.
Yeah that won’t happen it will just line the pockets of the elite over their and their families. You or no one else will se a dime of it or will it fix any issues
With the high cost of hotels and car rentals, this is just another “nail in the coffin“.
I still would like to see how the State would fare with no visitors for a year. They are like many other state governments around this Country that spend like it’s Monopoly money. Business experience should be required for any position requiring decisions on revenue and expenses.
They tried it during the pandemic when daddy fed was footing the bill. I say have at it pull all the government jobs military and contractors and enjoy.
It is familiar and therefore comforting, in a way, to hear Josh Green say something poorly thought out and stupid. Hopefully someone will sue the state into oblivion when an “environmental impact fee” is used for HART or housing or whatever. Both are worthy, but this seems like more slush for the leg. to mismanage.
Hawaii resident
Most of the traffic congestion, beach congestion and lack of care for the environment and culture are from tourists. Yes they should pay more for use and their abuse. Pay until visitation slows down. It’ll be offset by fees. Not residents.
Well I’m not particularly fond of it but, I do understand it. If anything stops people from going to Hawaii, this would probably be it. I’m not sure about Green’s timing on this tax affair and maybe that’s a good thing.
Aloha
No, it’s a solution for the local families and businesses wanting to stay afloat instead of getting pushed out due to foreign investors coming to Hawaii for it’s rich resources. Many of our ancestral graves are being desecrated daily because of the illegal sales of our lands to the highest bidder. You want to see corruption well look at the number of outsiders VS residents and if you were living here you’d understand the need to lessen tourism and the illegal sale of our Kuleana lands. Coming from a Native Hawaiian.
I totally agree with you.
Cool. Fix that issue then. Reduce amenities, lodging, go back to the roots.
Taxation doesn’t fix your issue. Greed of those you place above you is all this helps. Your “solution” only emboldens more of the same garbage. It does nothing to reduce capacity. It does nothing to solve over-tourism. It just changes access, including your own. Your new tourists won’t care about you. Just look at the big guy who bought an island.
Has anyone compared the amount of tourist visits pre covid to the post covid visits? Covid really messed things up, we don’t know how to get back to normal. In fact, what is normal anymore? Be careful not to bite the hand that feeds you. Reduced tourist visits equals higher taxes for the islands. For some of us there is only so much money budgeted for vacations. My family of six would be an extra $300.00 that we cant spend on other things.
Fifty dollars is absurd, absolutely not. And who will manage this huge lump of money that it goes to environmental protection and not the hands of corporate corruption .
My vote is No
Hawaii Resident
I own three properties on Maui and pay $40000 plus in tat property and get taxes. So now I have to pay an entry fee??
And parking fees at select beaches. I think visitors are paying
Tat fees and rental car fees already, when does this taxation thing end???
Another thing, if you don’t live in Hawaii and are not vested in the islands, no you shouldn’t be able to own that much property. The rental market is slim already due to illegal vacation rentals and rentals from outside investors. I believe a percentage of all real-estate should be vested back into Hawaii instead of going back to the mainland economy.
I think we already pay enough to travel here, and without tourism the Hawaiian islands would be nothing. I don’t think the need to charge more for people traveling is as great as the need to have accountability as to what is already being charged.
Not enough. Make it $500.00. Maybe that will stop the excessive tourism numbers and get some normalty back. We visited Maui in May and after 2 weeks decided not to come in 2023. Totally overcrowded with unfriendly, humping and puffing joggers spoiling our morning walk. If I am supposed to pay $400 for dinner, I expect something memorable. Not this year. Mediocre food and overworked staff did not add to excitement. Let us hope for 2024.
Yes, unfortunately the local communities were stressed due to the influx of tourist entering into Hawaii once the travel restrictions were lifted. Remember we are an island not a continent. There are only so many people here in the tourist industry caring for the needs of tourist. After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, people from all over the mainland came to frolick and sunbathe enjoying the warm climate and beautiful beaches. The Hawaiians became the servants and entertainment, till this day the mentality is still the same putting our people at the bottom of the barrel. It hurts to see that our stories are still being depicted by our predecessors, there needs to be positive change for our people and our land.
How about fix the completely messed up budget? Already alot of money going into Hawaii yet they always seem to have no money? Let’s see the numbers….
Yes all city and state officials should be audited, I’m sure we’ll find a lot of takers. Corruption is a big thing in our city and state offices. So stopping Corruption is a must and appointing people who are for our local communities and not large corporations here in the islands. Letting a developer develope homes and the money which they make off of these homes goes where? It goes back into their businesses on the mainland and nothing vested back into our local economy. Take Ironman for example, many businesses closed due to and did any of those proceeds go back into our economy, No it didn’t. Millions were made and nothing was return back into our Hawaiian economy.
I most certainly agree that the Hawaiian way of life and that the apparent corruption and mis-appropriation of finds that many of my Hawaiin friends discuss constantly must be independently investigated and the bureaucratic culprits prosecuted.
As a mainlander I don’t have a vote; however, I do hope that honesty and intrgrity will prevail.
Jim E
Sorry Gov. Green, but your $50 visitors fee applied only to citizens of states other than Hawaii would violate the privileges and immunities clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Why not attach the fee at the rental car and Turo sites?
And please please address the Maui traffic issues especially on the northshore. What happened to the Pa’ia bypass?
Even our stores like Costco and Whole Foods are overrun with tourists.
Makes me want to leave and I’ve been here since the 80s.
Aloha! They already have a huge fee attached to Rental Cars. For an example: you may find a rental car for $65 a day for 7 days, $455 a week, but the added “concession fees” on top of other fees & taxes that may bring that total to near $650. Aloha!
I can almost see the attorneys lining up at the governor’s office now. Trying to limit the number of visitors or charging an admission fee most surely will run into a problem with the 14th amendment. Not to mention decreased ability of the tourism industry to make money.
If it’s a foregone conclusion that Green will be the new Governor than we deserve what we get. Josh Green, asking with the voters, are fools. A “green fee” will create a bad taste in the mouth of every visitor. Surprise! Hawaii has stuck it to you for polluting out State. We discriminate.
No, it’s a solution for the local families and businesses wanting to stay afloat instead of getting pushed out due to foreign investors coming to Hawaii for it’s rich resources. Many of our ancestral graves are being desecrated daily because of the illegal sales of our lands to the highest bidder. You want to see corruption well look at the number of outsiders VS residents and if you were living here you’d understand the need to lessen tourism and the illegal sale of our Kuleana lands. Coming from a Native Hawaiian.