81 thoughts on “Hawaii “Annual Passport” Visitor Fees Exposed”
Charlie
Regarding Ke’e, it’s been rumored for years that since the money to first buy the land from Howard Taylor was Federal, and then it was Federal money that recently restored the park, that restricting anyone from the usage is a federal discrimination violation.
Any lawyers out there disappointed that they are restricted? Let’s hear from you.
FEMA money was used to do all the repair work in 2018-19. I recall was around $90M. Not sure if that includes the three bridges that were replaced/restored around Hanalei bay.
I have been an Alaska resident for 50 years. For 20 of those years I spent several winter weeks in Hawaii. For decades Alaska tried to charge nonresidents 3X the resident fees for hunting/fishing licenses. The courts repeatedly struck those discriminatory fees down. The US Constitution protects the right to travel for all citizens. Hawaii will run into resistance and spend more trying to collect such discriminatory fees than it gains. I do see more and more Alaskans choosing to visit Mexico rather than Hawaii. This sort of greed will eventually destroy the tourism economy in the islands.
Are you serious. I’m an American citizen I’m entitled to go to every state in this Union without having to carry a passport of any kind any size any shape and I won’t be doing that if I go to Hawaii ever again.
Seems like Hawaii is continually looking to “nickel and dime” the visitors. They already have a hotel tax which is 10.25%. Increase it by .25%. It is like a local restaurant near me that started charging 10 cents per bag for takeout. Ridiculous!!!
I see Boondoggle, it doesn’t sound like Governor Green, past using a play on words with his own name, has any grasp, other then trying to collect some $, somehow. When mirrored against the notorious Train that was in planning and Funding from the late 1950’s early ’60’s, initially to Honolulu Airport, now Ala Moana, Mufi Hannemann is right, getting the $ to the need is key, not Commissions who siphon off the Funds, just look at the EPA on the Mainland. With UH now relacing the Tourist Department, one can see the reach into the most recent Travel & Leisure, where Area Ambassadors are named to train the Tourists.
Thank you for this article.
Is it just me wondering if the politicians and residents want the term Aloha removed from the term “The Aloha State”?
Everything that seems to be happening there seems to be directed at “visitors” and how they are in no way welcomed any longer.
I share these articles with many of my friends and it seems to turn them off with the idea of visiting the islands. I think that’s the whole idea. Eventually the state may get it’s wish and people will go elsewhere; thousands of people will be out of work and the state will have a crisis on its hand and people will ask what’s wrong.
Wow! With all the “fees/passport”, surcharges being discussed Hawaii could price itself right out of the American middle class economy, many who only get to Hawaii as a once in a lifetime vacation. This would be sad. Will it become only the playground of the rich?
If these fees being discussed are passed, it may hurt small business as well…..one less meal out, one less round of golf, one less luau, one less activity? This would affect the Hawaiian citizens.
There are so many factors involved, I hope those making the decisions think long and hard on it. Especially if each island also starts adding fees for accessing state beaches and sites.
Hawaiian citizens don’t want us pesky tourists there. They hate us, yet love our money. We are going to Oahu for the month of July with our 15 year old granddaughter. My husband & I last visited Oahu in ’04. We are ready for the Aloha to be pretty much non-existent. So sad, they have to be this way. We love Hawaii, but this wil probably be our last trip there. All because of the locals hating us & the always rising fees.
Into that magnificent, totally opaque general fund where you’ll never be able to tell where or how the funds were used. I’m constantly puzzled and amazed that the citizens of Hawaii don’t demand transparency from their government.
I understand and agree with protecting Hawaii, but the collection of “green fees” at or for various venues is unworkable. While I certainly do not endorse additional taxation, it seems that it’s the most equitable, enforceable and transparent means of collecting funds for tourism offset with minimal impact to Hawaii residents. It’s too obvious, but it should address tourism specific entities with landing fees, as well as bed and rental car taxes. The beauty of this approach is that the collection mechanism already exists. Granted, additional taxes/fees pile on to what is already in place. Another idea might be a tourism economic zone(i.e. Lahaina) with a certain boundary of streets that has a specific sales tax.
This is absurd for people like me who spends 6 months a year living here, paying taxes(income and property), car registration and sales tax. You will price people out of coming when the State already charges to enter most of the parks. The fees and taxes on guests at hotels and rental is already absurdly high. Where do we see the benefits?
@Mbassler: With all due respects and acknowledging that I am not familiar with the details of your particular situation (nor should I be), from what you have posted here it appears that you own / lease / rent properties both on the US mainland and also in Hawaii. While most people in the US struggle to finance just one home, you appear to have two. And I’m willing to bet that when you are not occupying your Hawaiian residence you are renting it out for additional income. Thus I would not be surprised if the majority of people would conclude that an additional yearly $50 “Green” fee (or whatever it turns out to be) would not that great of a burden to you.
November Headline – Ige Closes Out His Tenure With A Record-Setting Surplus Of More Than $2.6 Billion. More than double previous year. Where did most of that money come from – the hospitality industry? And where is it going? So Gov Green is proposing yet another tax on tourism? What am I missing?
Unless you restructure the infrastructure at all of these parks and locations so that there is a ticket booth with someone inside taking the money and confirming residency, there is no way that 100% compliance will be achievable. Do you think that the honor system will rule the day on this? The state couldn’t get full compliance and leaned on vigilante groups like Quarantine Kapu Breakers to help enforce the rules during the COVID shutdowns. So do we want that again, vigilante groups going around to be sure every tourist is buying the license?
If the state were serious about this proposal, they should go over to Hanauma Bay and find out how they do it.
We own a condo and a car but spend only 4 months here. We pay a lot on taxes and support local business . We no longer can have State ID cards. Where do we fit? Local or visitor? This place is becoming cost prohibitive
I wouldn’t pay additional fees as we pay plenty of fees/taxes when we come to Hawaii through lodging, car rental, purchases that employ residents who pay taxes, etc.
It would likely deter many visitors over time.
Good on ‘ya Governor Green for remaining flexible, dynamic and approachable, and for considering new and alternate ideas and approaches to mitigating the effect of overcrowding. Like most things in life, if you wanna’ play, you gotta’ pay – tourism is no different, especially in this fragile ecosystem 1,800 miles away from the nearest mainland. But the real and only solution is to diversify Hawaii’s economy away from tourism.
Businesses get there revenue in a large part from visitors why would they go for this. As for me I and many of those I have talked to won’t come. Governor Green and the Businesses of Hawaii cane starve.
Regarding Ke’e, it’s been rumored for years that since the money to first buy the land from Howard Taylor was Federal, and then it was Federal money that recently restored the park, that restricting anyone from the usage is a federal discrimination violation.
Any lawyers out there disappointed that they are restricted? Let’s hear from you.
FEMA money was used to do all the repair work in 2018-19. I recall was around $90M. Not sure if that includes the three bridges that were replaced/restored around Hanalei bay.
I have been an Alaska resident for 50 years. For 20 of those years I spent several winter weeks in Hawaii. For decades Alaska tried to charge nonresidents 3X the resident fees for hunting/fishing licenses. The courts repeatedly struck those discriminatory fees down. The US Constitution protects the right to travel for all citizens. Hawaii will run into resistance and spend more trying to collect such discriminatory fees than it gains. I do see more and more Alaskans choosing to visit Mexico rather than Hawaii. This sort of greed will eventually destroy the tourism economy in the islands.
Are you serious. I’m an American citizen I’m entitled to go to every state in this Union without having to carry a passport of any kind any size any shape and I won’t be doing that if I go to Hawaii ever again.
they really dont want us to go to Hawaii
Now if the shoe were in the other foot, they would be crying Racism, if Locals were not wanted at Disney, Vegas, anywhere USA, other then State #50!
Seems like Hawaii is continually looking to “nickel and dime” the visitors. They already have a hotel tax which is 10.25%. Increase it by .25%. It is like a local restaurant near me that started charging 10 cents per bag for takeout. Ridiculous!!!
The only green fees I’ll pay would be to play golf.
😎🏌️♂️
I see Boondoggle, it doesn’t sound like Governor Green, past using a play on words with his own name, has any grasp, other then trying to collect some $, somehow. When mirrored against the notorious Train that was in planning and Funding from the late 1950’s early ’60’s, initially to Honolulu Airport, now Ala Moana, Mufi Hannemann is right, getting the $ to the need is key, not Commissions who siphon off the Funds, just look at the EPA on the Mainland. With UH now relacing the Tourist Department, one can see the reach into the most recent Travel & Leisure, where Area Ambassadors are named to train the Tourists.
Thank you for this article.
Is it just me wondering if the politicians and residents want the term Aloha removed from the term “The Aloha State”?
Everything that seems to be happening there seems to be directed at “visitors” and how they are in no way welcomed any longer.
I share these articles with many of my friends and it seems to turn them off with the idea of visiting the islands. I think that’s the whole idea. Eventually the state may get it’s wish and people will go elsewhere; thousands of people will be out of work and the state will have a crisis on its hand and people will ask what’s wrong.
Wow! With all the “fees/passport”, surcharges being discussed Hawaii could price itself right out of the American middle class economy, many who only get to Hawaii as a once in a lifetime vacation. This would be sad. Will it become only the playground of the rich?
If these fees being discussed are passed, it may hurt small business as well…..one less meal out, one less round of golf, one less luau, one less activity? This would affect the Hawaiian citizens.
There are so many factors involved, I hope those making the decisions think long and hard on it. Especially if each island also starts adding fees for accessing state beaches and sites.
Hawaiian citizens don’t want us pesky tourists there. They hate us, yet love our money. We are going to Oahu for the month of July with our 15 year old granddaughter. My husband & I last visited Oahu in ’04. We are ready for the Aloha to be pretty much non-existent. So sad, they have to be this way. We love Hawaii, but this wil probably be our last trip there. All because of the locals hating us & the always rising fees.
“Where will the money collected go?”
Into that magnificent, totally opaque general fund where you’ll never be able to tell where or how the funds were used. I’m constantly puzzled and amazed that the citizens of Hawaii don’t demand transparency from their government.
Hawaii, is like California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, NY, NJ, Massachusetts, ‘One Party Rule’!
I understand and agree with protecting Hawaii, but the collection of “green fees” at or for various venues is unworkable. While I certainly do not endorse additional taxation, it seems that it’s the most equitable, enforceable and transparent means of collecting funds for tourism offset with minimal impact to Hawaii residents. It’s too obvious, but it should address tourism specific entities with landing fees, as well as bed and rental car taxes. The beauty of this approach is that the collection mechanism already exists. Granted, additional taxes/fees pile on to what is already in place. Another idea might be a tourism economic zone(i.e. Lahaina) with a certain boundary of streets that has a specific sales tax.
This is absurd for people like me who spends 6 months a year living here, paying taxes(income and property), car registration and sales tax. You will price people out of coming when the State already charges to enter most of the parks. The fees and taxes on guests at hotels and rental is already absurdly high. Where do we see the benefits?
@Mbassler: With all due respects and acknowledging that I am not familiar with the details of your particular situation (nor should I be), from what you have posted here it appears that you own / lease / rent properties both on the US mainland and also in Hawaii. While most people in the US struggle to finance just one home, you appear to have two. And I’m willing to bet that when you are not occupying your Hawaiian residence you are renting it out for additional income. Thus I would not be surprised if the majority of people would conclude that an additional yearly $50 “Green” fee (or whatever it turns out to be) would not that great of a burden to you.
@ELDO
With all due respect, it seems you Do have issue with Mbassler’s personal financial position than what his post addressed.
Which was, Where do the high fees and taxes already collected get directed?
November Headline – Ige Closes Out His Tenure With A Record-Setting Surplus Of More Than $2.6 Billion. More than double previous year. Where did most of that money come from – the hospitality industry? And where is it going? So Gov Green is proposing yet another tax on tourism? What am I missing?
Unless you restructure the infrastructure at all of these parks and locations so that there is a ticket booth with someone inside taking the money and confirming residency, there is no way that 100% compliance will be achievable. Do you think that the honor system will rule the day on this? The state couldn’t get full compliance and leaned on vigilante groups like Quarantine Kapu Breakers to help enforce the rules during the COVID shutdowns. So do we want that again, vigilante groups going around to be sure every tourist is buying the license?
If the state were serious about this proposal, they should go over to Hanauma Bay and find out how they do it.
Part of the tax would be used to employ gatekeepers to enforce the collection of the fees. The National Parks do this. Simple.
We own a condo and a car but spend only 4 months here. We pay a lot on taxes and support local business . We no longer can have State ID cards. Where do we fit? Local or visitor? This place is becoming cost prohibitive
Aloha-
For Haena/Ke’e, I would reluctantly rather pay an annual fee if it means I can avoid getting up at 3am my time 30 days out to secure a parking spot.
I wouldn’t pay additional fees as we pay plenty of fees/taxes when we come to Hawaii through lodging, car rental, purchases that employ residents who pay taxes, etc.
It would likely deter many visitors over time.
Good on ‘ya Governor Green for remaining flexible, dynamic and approachable, and for considering new and alternate ideas and approaches to mitigating the effect of overcrowding. Like most things in life, if you wanna’ play, you gotta’ pay – tourism is no different, especially in this fragile ecosystem 1,800 miles away from the nearest mainland. But the real and only solution is to diversify Hawaii’s economy away from tourism.
If this will get the campers moved off of the beach, I’ll pay it.
Businesses get there revenue in a large part from visitors why would they go for this. As for me I and many of those I have talked to won’t come. Governor Green and the Businesses of Hawaii cane starve.