Should Hawaii visitors and residents both pay an environmental fee? More questions are back on the table.
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143 thoughts on “Controversial $50 Hawaii Visitor Fee Plan Returns”
Should Hawaii visitors and residents both pay an environmental fee? More questions are back on the table.
I would be in favor of any fee that would slow down the number of tourists here on the Big Island. Staffing levels are still not adequate as many people have moved out of the service industry.
My problem with the fee would be: how will it be used? If the fees actually cleaned things up it would be worthwhile, unfortunately, fees tend to find a black hole within the state.
Mahalo for the article gentleman.
I don’t think any visitor fee can be implemented due to freedom of interstate travel. However, if it does pass muster, the fee should be 25.00 not 50.00. Too much!
How to chase all tourism away! Idiots
If that is the only fee charged to visitors then I think it is reasonable. Unfortunately Hawaii usually looks to visitors to cure all it’s financial woes and I feel this would be an extra tax…that would again be mismanaged (Oahu’s train to nowhere comes to mind)
We come to Kauai every year. I hear your concerns about environmental issues, but what about the $$$ spent there.
I would rather pay one fee than be nickled and dimed at each park, beach and attraction.
They are going to have to define “Visitor” then.
1. I’m staying off and on with my brother-in-law several times a year.
2. I’m a business man going to HI several times a year for business only. No vacation.
3. I have a residence in HI and the mainland and go back and forth but live mainly on the mainland.
4. I rent an apartment in HI but travel back and forth to the mainland and have no need for any HI identification documents. I only have my mainland drivers license.
And I suppose it could go on and on.
Very good examples!
Exactly. There are several situations where so called visitors are anything but tourists. Why should a business man who already contributes more to Hawaii in tax revenues than most residents be slammed for an additional entry fee every time he comes to Hawaii?
Another money grab with funds being siphoned off to who knows where (or to whom).
Tourists are paying the hotel room tax, the General Excise Tax and user fees for places for Hanauma Bay and to hike Diamond Head as well fees / taxes on rental cars.
This $50 per person arrival fee, not connected to the airport or airlines, is a charge for interstate commerce; travel between States. I believe this violates the U.S. Constitution.
My personal feeling is that at some point Hawaii will price itself out of what Americans want to pay to visit.
Such a discriminatory tax/fee or whatever you wish to describe it would likely be considered on a challenge to be “discriminatory” state action and likely prohibited under Article I.S8.C3 of the US Constitution.
Jim E