132 thoughts on “Hawaii 2020: Biting The Hand That Feeds Us”
Ann B.
The University of Hawaii should beef up their high tech school, so that there is a stream of graduates who come from the islands who can work in the field. If the university has a world-class school of technology and engineering, along with a business-friendly atmosphere, we can attract tech companies to come to the islands. Our location in the middle of the Pacific is ideal for attracting companies and doing business with Asia and the mainland.
It will take time to do this; the university will need to bring in top notch professors and really build the school from the ground up, but I’ve seen it done in other places and they have been successful.
There really is no reason not to try this.
Michael K
You need to offer solutions.
Tina S
Thank you for this site I have learned a lot. I do have a question. My husband and I are moving to Honolulu in April. Retiring. Are any of the travel restrictions different for people moving vs vacationing?
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Tina.
Thanks. The travel restrictions apply to everyone.
Aloha.
Fred W.
As an individual who has visited Hawaii 25+ times over the past 10-15 years I am appalled at Hawaii’s governor and the constant “Peyton Place” and changing rules and guidelines for vacationing. The governor should be impeached for his lack of leadership! I am so sorry for all of the employees in hospitality and restaurants. I fear as we come out of Covid, Hawaii will lag in their recovery given abysmal and disastrous governor leadership. Such an albatross!
CF
Great article
Beat of Hawaii
Hi CF.
Thanks for that.
Aloha.
Kim P
Thank you for the very objective summery of the current state of Hawaii tourism. We loved coming all these years but now found a new first choice beach vacation spot. I don t think we will return any time soon and certainly not the frequency that we did before this. I sympathize with the small business owners who put their sweat and blood starting their business only to be snatched away by terrible governance. I am sure they and their employees would love to go back to being sugar and pineapple farmers. Good luck. See you in Mexico
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Kim.
Thanks. Enjoy your time in Mexico.
Aloha.
Bob L.
Where are you going in Mexico that beats out Hawaii? I might want to join you.
Maryanne G
I visited Oahu with my son in August 2019 and was hoping to return this past year with my other son. Thank you for your hospitality. We enjoyed your beautiful island. I am hoping to return soon.Maryanne
Rob T
The comments from the tourists in the past month have been enlightening. Visiting every year even for a few months does not make you a local. Taking hula classes doesn’t work either.
The Biden-Harris plan is called- Building Back Better. The goal is to reduce private property ownership and re-invent the whole economy.
People will be encouraged to make sacrifices for the good of the planet. Either you will be one of privileged like Mark Zuckerberg or you will serve them. I am sure they are buying up distressed properties as we read these comments.
Bob L
Distressed properties? Does such a thing exist in Hawaii?? Seems like the entry price for anything with land in Hawaii (not the Big Island) starts at $1M.
Laurel M.
Absolute truth!!
The whole time I was reading this excellent article, I couldn’t help but think “until Hawaii gets rid of leftist ideals of crazy high taxes, non-business friendly tax laws, making unemployment attractive through significant subsidies…Hawaii will always be dependent on tourism.”
My husband and I have wanted to relocate to Hawaii during our working years, but he received a job offer equivalent to what he does in DC for $50-75k less. Low wages, high taxes and high cost of living made us choose to stay where we are. We so regret that Hawaii has such an environment that does not encourage business growth.
Hope this pandemic has opened the locals’ eyes to the real needs of Hawaii!
Moonbaka
I love Hawaii but facts are facts.
Without tourism, Hawaii simply dies. This is a fact. Hawaii is America’s smallest exporter by state well behind front-runners Texas, California, New York and Washington state. The value of Hawaii’s exports equals just 0.03% worth of United States’ overall exported products for 2019. Since exports of past have dried up such as sugar cane, pineapple etc. a Hawaii without tourism cannot sustain itself.
Sure, folks that are retired and receiving Social Security can live somewhat intact, but anyone working for a living is in deep trouble without tourism since it’s primarily the only game in town. At some point, even the most anti-tourism individual has to admit. No tourism = no $. No $ = no survival for local folks. Zero $ = zero tax base for Hawaii
Figure it out…
Jim K
Great post. Letting the facts get in the way of the truth!
Kent Z.
Thank you All for these interesting points. I agree with Moonbaka, above. I have visited my timeshare in Kauai for nearly two weeks every year for the last 20ish years. It was sad to see the numerous shops and vendors closed, some permanently, in early November 2020. We also got snagged, stuck in our condo room for 2 days with a glitch in our Covid test results. Losing visitors like us who love HI will have a huge negative impact. For example, just consider our rental car invoice of $440, with almost $200 of that fee being taxes. That’s nearly 40% for taxes. Multiply that by the minus 8 million visitors per year (just for rental cars) and you begin to see the death spiral. That’s sad for the islands, the culture, the people. Mahalo, Kent
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Kent.
Thanks for your first time comment and for sharing your experience on Kauai.
Aloha.
Carol M.
We just spent 3 wks in a condo we rented right on the beach in Waikiki. We had a wonderful time & supported local restaurants & musicians at local restaurants. We felt welcomed wherever we went including the tour we took at the Royal palace in Honolulu as well as the Queen’s Summer Palace. We enjoyed beaches on the west side, North Shore & Kailua. We hiked to the lighthouse near Hunauma Bay but weren’t willing to wait in the 2 hr lines for Hunauma Bay. We used Vault Health for our COVID testing & jumped through all the hoops for Hawaii.gov. We had a great time!!
Comments are closed.
Aloha!
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The University of Hawaii should beef up their high tech school, so that there is a stream of graduates who come from the islands who can work in the field. If the university has a world-class school of technology and engineering, along with a business-friendly atmosphere, we can attract tech companies to come to the islands. Our location in the middle of the Pacific is ideal for attracting companies and doing business with Asia and the mainland.
It will take time to do this; the university will need to bring in top notch professors and really build the school from the ground up, but I’ve seen it done in other places and they have been successful.
There really is no reason not to try this.
You need to offer solutions.
Thank you for this site I have learned a lot. I do have a question. My husband and I are moving to Honolulu in April. Retiring. Are any of the travel restrictions different for people moving vs vacationing?
Hi Tina.
Thanks. The travel restrictions apply to everyone.
Aloha.
As an individual who has visited Hawaii 25+ times over the past 10-15 years I am appalled at Hawaii’s governor and the constant “Peyton Place” and changing rules and guidelines for vacationing. The governor should be impeached for his lack of leadership! I am so sorry for all of the employees in hospitality and restaurants. I fear as we come out of Covid, Hawaii will lag in their recovery given abysmal and disastrous governor leadership. Such an albatross!
Great article
Hi CF.
Thanks for that.
Aloha.
Thank you for the very objective summery of the current state of Hawaii tourism. We loved coming all these years but now found a new first choice beach vacation spot. I don t think we will return any time soon and certainly not the frequency that we did before this. I sympathize with the small business owners who put their sweat and blood starting their business only to be snatched away by terrible governance. I am sure they and their employees would love to go back to being sugar and pineapple farmers. Good luck. See you in Mexico
Hi Kim.
Thanks. Enjoy your time in Mexico.
Aloha.
Where are you going in Mexico that beats out Hawaii? I might want to join you.
I visited Oahu with my son in August 2019 and was hoping to return this past year with my other son. Thank you for your hospitality. We enjoyed your beautiful island. I am hoping to return soon.Maryanne
The comments from the tourists in the past month have been enlightening. Visiting every year even for a few months does not make you a local. Taking hula classes doesn’t work either.
The Biden-Harris plan is called- Building Back Better. The goal is to reduce private property ownership and re-invent the whole economy.
People will be encouraged to make sacrifices for the good of the planet. Either you will be one of privileged like Mark Zuckerberg or you will serve them. I am sure they are buying up distressed properties as we read these comments.
Distressed properties? Does such a thing exist in Hawaii?? Seems like the entry price for anything with land in Hawaii (not the Big Island) starts at $1M.
Absolute truth!!
The whole time I was reading this excellent article, I couldn’t help but think “until Hawaii gets rid of leftist ideals of crazy high taxes, non-business friendly tax laws, making unemployment attractive through significant subsidies…Hawaii will always be dependent on tourism.”
My husband and I have wanted to relocate to Hawaii during our working years, but he received a job offer equivalent to what he does in DC for $50-75k less. Low wages, high taxes and high cost of living made us choose to stay where we are. We so regret that Hawaii has such an environment that does not encourage business growth.
Hope this pandemic has opened the locals’ eyes to the real needs of Hawaii!
I love Hawaii but facts are facts.
Without tourism, Hawaii simply dies. This is a fact. Hawaii is America’s smallest exporter by state well behind front-runners Texas, California, New York and Washington state. The value of Hawaii’s exports equals just 0.03% worth of United States’ overall exported products for 2019. Since exports of past have dried up such as sugar cane, pineapple etc. a Hawaii without tourism cannot sustain itself.
Sure, folks that are retired and receiving Social Security can live somewhat intact, but anyone working for a living is in deep trouble without tourism since it’s primarily the only game in town. At some point, even the most anti-tourism individual has to admit. No tourism = no $. No $ = no survival for local folks. Zero $ = zero tax base for Hawaii
Figure it out…
Great post. Letting the facts get in the way of the truth!
Thank you All for these interesting points. I agree with Moonbaka, above. I have visited my timeshare in Kauai for nearly two weeks every year for the last 20ish years. It was sad to see the numerous shops and vendors closed, some permanently, in early November 2020. We also got snagged, stuck in our condo room for 2 days with a glitch in our Covid test results. Losing visitors like us who love HI will have a huge negative impact. For example, just consider our rental car invoice of $440, with almost $200 of that fee being taxes. That’s nearly 40% for taxes. Multiply that by the minus 8 million visitors per year (just for rental cars) and you begin to see the death spiral. That’s sad for the islands, the culture, the people. Mahalo, Kent
Hi Kent.
Thanks for your first time comment and for sharing your experience on Kauai.
Aloha.
We just spent 3 wks in a condo we rented right on the beach in Waikiki. We had a wonderful time & supported local restaurants & musicians at local restaurants. We felt welcomed wherever we went including the tour we took at the Royal palace in Honolulu as well as the Queen’s Summer Palace. We enjoyed beaches on the west side, North Shore & Kailua. We hiked to the lighthouse near Hunauma Bay but weren’t willing to wait in the 2 hr lines for Hunauma Bay. We used Vault Health for our COVID testing & jumped through all the hoops for Hawaii.gov. We had a great time!!