There is still no date set to resume all-important mainland tourism. Extreme frustration is emanating from all corners, while the rest of the country is in various phases of reopening. Hawaiian Airlines, the state’s largest employer, and only flag carrier airline is now saying what they believe should happen next in order to reopen tourism.
This comes while Hawaii bound travelers for later in 2020 and beyond become increasingly frustrated and desperate for answers. We see that in comments and emails from you, travelers who rightly need to know now what is going to be happening. Also, in predictions that tourism will be down by perhaps 70% this year, and may now take through 2025 to recover! Either a plan is set now, or visitors will be rapidly canceling their Hawaii vacations well into the future.
The lead time to restart Hawaii travel according to airlines and hotels, is up to 60 days. Currently the 14-day isolation period keeps getting extended and is now through June 30. How can you even plan, not knowing what happens starting in July and thereafter?
Beat of Hawaii: visitor patience on lack of information has evaporated.
Hawaiian Airlines has been noticeably quiet and patient, at least publicly, during all the discussions of what it will take to resume Hawaii travel. But now they are stating what they believe should happen:
Hawaiian Airlines:
“Until tests become readily available to all who wish to travel, we believe a system of layered protections that begins with temperature screening at TSA departure checkpoints, continues with health and sanitization protocols at check-in and on-board the aircraft, and is followed by rigorous contact tracing post-arrival will be the most effective means of providing the confidence needed to re-open Hawaii.” Hawaiian Airlines said they would like to see all screening protocols be part of a nationwide system.
Beat of Hawaii’s concerns:
1. Temperature screening is of questionable value. Johns Hopkins just said “People may be taking over-the-counter fever-reducing medications (like Tylenol for headaches) that would alter the temperature reading by suppressing the fever… Fever screening can be one part of a wider system, but it’s still unclear how much marginal benefit there is.”
Hawaii is in the process of investing $36 million in funding on thermal camera scanning equipment.
2. A plan for reopening simply cannot wait. Muffi Hannemann, CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association said, July is critical and waiting say until September would “likely lead to defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcies.” Not mentioned, is that these hotels contribute hundreds of millions to Hawaii’s tax base. Also, unemployment and other measures will soon come to an end, and we are looking down the barrel of sure financial catastrophe here in the islands. This hasn’t quite hit home yet, but it is definitely about to.
3. Hawaii officials can’t act decisively. The lieutenant governor just said that we might consider starting by opening tourism to New Zealand, Australia, and Japan first, while the governor said about reopening plans, “I just said, we don’t have a hard timeline.”
Are you planning a no-Hawaii vacation this year or waiting to see what happens next before deciding what to do?
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What happens on day 15? Do you get a t shirt, arm band, or cool hat?Who tells the rental car company and hotel that you’ve out lasted this process?
This Is just very sad , I’m disappointed in Hawaii. We were supposed to go to Maui end of May but the trip was cancelled. We will not be rebooking, its obvious we are not wanted. We will be supporting the US states by going to Florida instead. Maybe hawaii will come to their senses.
My daughter and i are coming to visit this summer FOR SURE, as this will be her first time! We will happily self isolate for 14 days and/or do whatevet else is required. We are planning to spend the majority of our money at local, smaller shops and farmers markets, and where it is most beneficial for local residents!
I don’t think they are even allowing tourists to shop. No rental cars are allowed. You have to literally stay inside for 14 days. I was supposed to bring my daughter too. We’ve all been tested with negative results. We are going to Key West most likely now.
14 day quar antine means staying inside, Not allowed to go to any stores, no grocery stores, no pool, no beach.
Have been planning a beach wedding for late September and scared to death we won’t have the dream. Frustrating that the government has turned the businesses into the police of the police state. So much for herd immunity.
The lack of plan, the lack of tentative dates, Governor, Lt Governor on different pages is a cluster. The Governor coming out and saying he is extending the quar antine has just cost Hawaii 100’s of millions and tanked their economy longer than required. I’m all for safety and distancing and wearing masks etc. but extending the quar antine makes no sense without a plan on how and when travel will be allowed.
We had 18 days planned 3 islands. 2 hotels stays, 1 timeshare, Hawaiian Air, rental cars, restaurants, excursions. Can’t recover that revenue. The unfortunate part is that Hawaiian Air employees will be losing good paying jobs that Wont come back. Hotels will have no choice to reduce staffing levels, restaurants will shuttered, and local business may not come back. Grocery store pricing will go up, supply chains will be impacted and on and on.
I’ll be either selling my timeshare at some point or walking away from it.
Had to cancel my Maui vacation set for June 30-July 6th. Would love to have known the plan so that I could postpone and rebook. Unfortunately my money will now be spent elsewhere. This would have been my sixth trip to Maui.
Thanks TJ I agree with you 100% mahalo
Please remove me from the Thread 😀
Hi Nita.
Done. That is self-service, and there is an unsubscribe link on each email or you can return to the comment section of the post and there’s a link there as well.
Aloha.
This is a slapping in our face as Americans if you want to open to other countries first why don’t you delete yourself from the United States if you want to open to other countries I agree with TJ on this
As someone who lives in Hawaii, I have found they will gladly welcome Japanese before mainland Americans… even without c0vid… So it does not surprise me that they are talking of first opening to Japanese.
Not happy about the thought of opening Hawaii to other countries first, before allowing entry of citizens of states that are part of the country Hawaii belongs to. I have a trip planned for July and have been holding off canceling.
Tell your congressional reps. Maybe if they lose funding – they might turn their brains on.
It’s not that you can’t come. Just quar antine for 14 days. As fellow Americans, shouldn’t you respect your brothers and sisters of a different state? There maybe a C0vid test option prior to travel to avoid the quar antine. Not too much to ask really…
Hello,
We’ve cancelled all future travel to Hawaii, and we have been planning to visit twice a year. Hawaii has successfully put a Tourists Not Welcome message out, and it has been received. We love Hawaii, but aren’t willing to spend our money where it’s apparently not wanted.
Good luck and mahalo.
Agreed, it’s easy to see that they don’t want to be a part of the US any longer. I just hope someone shares the feelings of people who have come to Hawaii in the past and left tourist dollars with someone in the State Government. IMO, the message is clear – we’ll take people from other countries but not from other states in the US. I hope the Federal Government cuts their funding and plan on telling my House & Senate Reps about my feelings!
My husband and I have planned a trip for august 8th with our 2 adult daughters since September 2019. This is something we should have done when they were young. I really do not want to cancel. I totally understand safety first, but would like some type of answer as to when opening to tourists will happen without the 14 day quar antine. We cannot afford to be gone for 3 weeks!! Thank you
Hi Pam.
We look forward to providing more information as soon as we have it.
Aloha.
I appreciate all the information I can get. At this time we are to fly I to Kauai on American airlines. I pray this can get this figured out. I do not want to cancel. Even if we have to take a c0vid test that would be fine. All my husband and I want is give our daughters a trip to remember. Thank you
We have been planning our 12 day trip to Maui for the past 18 months and could not wait to go. When C0vid hit we thought for sure by July things will have calmed down and we could still be there. Sadly after hearing about the extended 14 day quar antine, we decided to cance our trip. We don’t want to wait until it’s too late and lose the money we spent so long saving to go. We also don’t want to be the first visitors back especially if the state doesn’t want us there yet. We are hoping Hawaii is ready for us next summer but if not we will have to take our trips somewhere else.
Have trip planned for August. If info isn’t provided soon will plan trip some where else. Other destinations are opening up-and it is starting to sound like local people do t want us there.
Missy….we were to be there April 24 for the birth of our grandson in Honolulu.. Now looking for August and still not looking good. Iam not a tourist but a grandma wanting to be with family.
They are reopening the Las Vegas casinos on June 4th. Nevada has ten times the c0vid cases as Hawaii, yet they have spent months on a plan that includes temperature checks, questionnaires, masks, and tracing.
We have been waiting since March and were actually interested in buying a home but now we can’t even come let alone look at properties. I’ve lived on the islands before and this treatment is unacceptable
The governor must be out of his idiot mind!, open first to New Zealand, Australia and Japan FIRST?? WTH, Hawaii is part of the United States and their opening to other countries first! I LOVE Hawaii but this will be where me and my family draw the line. If Hawaii first opens to other countries other than their own UNITED STATES OF AMERICA we will NEVER again step foot in Hawaii! How disrespectful to their own country! This almost proves to me that the law makers in Hawaii in fact “do” believe that their, their own little country. The next time a catastrophic event happens like tsunami, earthquake or something else hits Hawaii; they need to hold their hand out to New Zealand, Australia or Japan for financial support! Who do these morons think they are?? What a terrible insult to the people on the United States mainland!
I’m absolutely insulted and disgusted with Hawaii liberal idiot government!
Totally insulted!
Sorry for the rant but this line of thought takes the cake!
Mahalo and Aloha!
Hi TJ.
Thanks.
Aloha.
I totally agree, TJ. The federal government should cut federal assistance to Hawaii until they recognize the United States taxpayer’s rights to travel between state borders. Wait till the mainland media gets hold of this information. They’ll have a field day with this. Hawaii politicians have their heads in the sand while their economy goes down the tubes. Show some courage Ige. How shameful.
I agree, as well. But, agreeing is not enough! Don’t forget to let your Congressional Reps know about your feelings! Without that, there will be no action (they may not listen – but, that could apply some presser).
@TJ
Hawaii is already open to the other 49 states! You just have to go thru the West Coast to do it. Why do you think there are so many people being arrested nowadays, because they keep breaking the 14 day quar antine and live care free while all residents are forced to stay home during the lockdown.
I live on Oahu but I’m stuck in Japan during this time without being able to fly home unless I take 2 to 3 planes which we don’t want to do. So unfortunately for you if you don’t want to return and feel left out, that is your prerogative, I just want to come home.
“Hawaii is already open to the other 49 states”
Lol, oh no don’t let people know that!
Then they will realize they were incorrect in their facts.
No Hawaii is not open to the other 49 states. You will face a 14 day quar antine on arrival, even as a returning resident.
If you want to come home, then come home even if it takes a few flights. You might as well start your 14 day…
Couldn’t of said that any better, TJ! Every single word is spot on accurate. My wife and I had our first trip to Hawaii planned for May to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, then had to reschedule to June, and now rescheduled until this September. But after hearing this so called state government, I’m really disappointed that they would even consider opening up to other countries first!
Thank you for sharing our frustration! We have our annual trip booked for mid July and need answers in the next couple weeks or we have to cancel. Hoping for good news and a safe trip!
Hi Steve.
Thanks.
Aloha.