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”
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.