The writing on the wall isn’t good, with a big cloud hanging over Hawaii travel. This is going to get interesting.
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76 thoughts on “Finding Light In Hawaii Travel’s Bleak Outlook For Summer”
The writing on the wall isn’t good, with a big cloud hanging over Hawaii travel. This is going to get interesting.
Your articles are great!
Just returned from a trip to Maui and Kauai. Maui was very nice but Kauai was a seriously expensive waste of precious vacation time. Weather was terrible which can’t be predicted but the traffic was frustrating and Nothing was open. Restaurants were fully booked for dinner and many didn’t open until 3 or 5. No places open for lunch. Combined with the weather and expense, I know none of the 3 families we traveled with will ever go back. All of the group noted that we can go to Mexico for half the price and twice the fun.
I don’t mind the high taxes as those likely stay local or are at least designed to stay local.
In Honolulu, I see two issues: the petty crime/homelessness and dishonest “resort fees” that are making people I know give pause to other destinations that either don’t have the homeless issue or no resort fees.
Mexico and Europe can actually be less expensive and it’s easier to support local businesses/people vs mega corporations that own most hotels in Hawaii.
Mexico is great … well, except for the fact that if I’m at the beach, or walking around, I’m an continuously bombarded by someone trying to sell me something I don’t need/want.
Reading the comments is showing Hawaii is getting the wish to keep Hawaii for themselves. Price and tax them to the extreme has worked and people are finding other beautiful places to visit at reasonable prices. Some have reported they have not felt welcome when visiting the islands! We stopped going to Maui last winter. We discovered San Diego! Great weather, fair prices, lots to see and do, palm trees , beaches and the people loved the fact that we chose to holiday in California. We went back this year for the month of January and again loved it. Bonus…. Short reasonable flight!
Just returned from a 6 week vacation in Hawaii. Visited Kaui & Maui. Best vacation ever. Once in a lifetime. It was not the flight that was costly. Accommodations were far too overpriced. Car rentals overpriced. We paid about the average prices you listed so I am too embarrassed to do the math. One of the condo’s in Maui was in a prime location with a prime view. The Condo itself had not been touched well prior to covid & was in dire need of renovations. Good thing the location made up for the condo. Grocery prices are insane but then you do have to ship those in so understandable. Restaurants were gouging esp in Maui. Add to that exchange rates for those from other countries. Cant afford to go back.
Can’t wait to return….. to Florida!
Great beaches, food and no tourist shaming. Rental cars cheap, as well as hotels.
My family is finding the same in California. Loving San Diego for the same reasons. Probably will not return to Maui.
Just landed after 10 days in the UK. Car rental for a week was just under $400, not bad compared to a week in Hawaii, and our hotels had daily parking under $10, no resort fees! Restaurants gladly accepted walk-in customers. Great time for us, and less expensive than expected, compared to a week in Honolulu.
We own a bi-annual Maui timeshare. Our Hotel cost = $0. However, we live on the U.S. East Coast and flying to Hawaii + Car Rental + Meals would be too cost prohibitive for us so we cannot afford Hawaii anymore until their tourist dollars are lowered. Looks like more Mainland and Caribbean trips for us going forward.
With O’ahu’s mandated 30+ day requirement on vacation house rentals, the primary option, legally, for visitors are hotels. They have the monopoly on the tourist dollar so they can charge what they want, but I’d like to know who the hell can afford north of $800/night for a room? Certainly not me but then I prefer Hawai’i Island anyway. I guess you get what you ask for because plenty people wanted less tourism on O’ahu so now they got ’em. One ting… What you got are the worst people with no respect for anyone or anything kanaka.
The local leaders of the region have out priced the residents. The income of the 8 island residents is less than that of the people traveling to the 8 islands and to Oahu. Because of this, tourists are the areas primary money income.Price increases the last 1-7 years have destroyed all projected incomes for these areas geographically. This has discouraged people travel to Oahu Island and all the other 7 outer islands. Your belief concepts of what is affordable for people travelers is not realistict for your geographic region. Has not been the past 1-7 years to 8 years. Higher prices run people away. Period! The price increases are from 40%-70% for everything for people travelers to experience. Thats a horrible way to get people to spend
The price increases over the last 4-5 years and the horrible airport entry demands of covid 19 and the shortage of rental cars and hotel price increases, hotels that are not resorts charging travelers resort fees and very high food prices and grocery price increases everywhere. These are all reasons people are not traveling to Oahu more. I lived there for 27 years. Prices the last 4-7 years are the worst ever for the region. This discourages travelsrs to stay away from that area due to to many price increases. Common sense. Las Vegas prices are cheeper, much lower and there is far more to do and see here for travelers. 13 years here and my last 1 year of visits 4-5 times yearly has run me away from traveling there just once yearly. Sad.
Went to Florida twice now with the family, when we would have gone to Hawaii if it weren’t for the unwelcome atmosphere of the local government.
I imagine that Florida would definitely suit you better. Enjoy
Hawaii is not what it used to be. They want more high paying guests from Asia and less cheaper American visitors.
I would say Hawaii doesn’t care where they come from. They just want fewer higher paying guests period. Bottom line is that they islands are overrun by tourists, and it’s causing all kinds of problems. I don’t see how you can solve that without reducing the number of people who visit. I know that sucks for the “budget traveler”, but that’s the problem.
When I first went to Hawaii in the 90’s the locals told me they were buying up as much land as they could because they knew they could sell it at a high price in the future. That determined their fate and put them in the position they’re in now.
Reading the remarks of the people who live and work in Hawaii on these boards, has made me hold back on traveling to Hawaii. If we’re not welcome, why go? Greece in 2023 for our family.
People who have negative vibes are always going to be places like this sounding off the loudest. But they don’t represent all residents in Hawaii! I hope prices stabilize so you can come back. 🙂
Please recall that most hotels and car rentals are owned by outside corporations. These are not Hawaii owned businesses.
Your discussion of the Hawaiiam trip cost uptick is spot on. We usually travel to the Islands once a year but not this time. Last year I spent $5500.00 for the two of us and we stayed in an upscale resort. Now the same resort costs us $10,700. So we are going to Italy this year,instead and it is much cheaper. Hawaii’s taxes, cleaning fees, food, car rentals, etc are way too pricey. Now they we have to pay fees for US parks and beaches. Another added cost to visitors. Hawaii is beautiful, but so is many other parts of this planet that becon us. Aloha!
My wife and I have been coming to Hawaii once, sometimes twice, a year for the past 20+ years. We usually stay 10-12 days each time. Our last visit was Dec 2021. One hotel tried to tell us the $53 daily resort fee included beach access! Even then, prices and local attitudes were changing. So we went to Europe. Took a 12 day tour through Italy. Costs were better than our Hawaiian vacation. This year we are headed to South America. We miss Hawaii, but the prices far outweigh the value.
I have been planning our first trip (a family of three) to Hawaii (Kauai) since late summer last year and monitored the flight cost with Hawaiian Airlines. Since December to now the price has been ~$1300 from Boston for the summer. I was going to pull the plug but luckily found ~$500 price in one of the weeks in August before our daughter returns to school. That price is no longer available. Then the hotel prices are around $500 in the South side plus 2 weeks car rental (luckily, I found a discount code but will continue to monitor the rate).
With all the inflation prices and higher prices as noted in this article, people are waking up to that reality and not many can afford a Hawaii vacation.
I have acquaintances trying to book Maui for the Summer & Fall as I write this…they tell me that the prices are outrageous! I told them that Hawaii has added a boatload of taxes to the cost$ of hotels/condos etc…I know a Ton of People headed to Europe this Year..it is more affordable for many when you add up air/hotel/taxes/food/tips/etc…the State of Hawaii needs to get it together in many ways, but especially to help all those who rely on tourism and visitors to make their livelihoods…they cannot bite (or nickel and dime to death) the hand that feeds them…
We are going for the entire month of August to Kauai. If we had not found an incredible VRBO owner who gave us a great deal, I don’t think we would be coming over. We have visited most all the islands, and Kauai the most since 1990. I agree Hawaii needs to reconsider all the new resort taxes they are imposing.
It’s not Hawaii that’s raising prices! It’s the investors who own the rental car companies, investors who own the hotels and condos who are raising prices, it’s the oil companies making record profits raising their prices so shipping costs and airline fuel is higher. Our Hawaiian people are not even making a living wage.
Investors are doing great! They all live on the mainland and maybe visit their second or third home here.
And so our taxes support the tourism authority to promote tourism so that more tourists come and spend more money. I wonder how much stays in our state vs how much goes into investors pockets who don’t live here? Seems like the tourist dollars mostly leave the state after below market wages are paid to our workers who need two or three jobs to make ends meet.
Wonder why anyone would have a problem with that?
Right. That’s what people have heard, so that’s why it’s thought that we might as well stop tourism altogether. I guess we’ll find out how much was staying in-state.
The far majority of STR are owned and operated by locals,keeping their dollars in the Islands.
It’s certainly not the case for the hotel chains.
Hawaii’s transient tax at 14%, highest is the US rivals NY and Las Vegas 2 destinations that the 100% of visitors dont have to spent a minimum of $600 air flights.
The state of Hawaii has leaned on tourism as its golden egg for far too long, and it just maybe its end times.
I’m glad I’m not the only one fed up with the prices of a Hawaii vacation. 30 years ago I remember telling the agent at the car rental that Hawaii must have been much nicer before all of us tourists came. He said he was happy to have the tourists because without us he’d be working in a pineapple field. I’ve been reading Hawaii news for many years now. Their plan is to cut down on the number of “not wealthy” tourists. What a shame that they are creating such a bad reputation for themselves in the process. The room I paid $350 for is now $1000!
Dawn, The era of wealth for locals, tourists and the island economy was from 1973 till 2002. From say 2008 up to 2018 till now things there price wise and business wise have been horrible for the locals and for visiting people travelers. A greedy uncaring government that uses mainland USA wealthy richest city prices in hope that travels will just be happy to experience Oahu Island. Historically has been overpriced and over publicised since the rebuilding of pearl harbor war, 70+ years ago.✌️
Don’t forget the politicians getting their cuts or helping their buddies…😉
We stopped our annual 2 month trips to Hawaii due to the new Short Term rental laws prohibiting stays under 90 days. Even though it’s held up in courts we can’t afford to possibly lose $ on booking 2 30 day rentals and all of a sudden we can’t because something changes. Fix it for good, one way or the other please.
Not the case for the Big Island, Marklyn.
STR are accepting minimum 1 nite stays and more.