Have we killed the golden goose? Now something other than Hawaii travel will help boost the economy.
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143 thoughts on “Hawaii Tourism Boom Bursts | Troubled Waters Lurking”
Have we killed the golden goose? Now something other than Hawaii travel will help boost the economy.
Belize is now our go to vacation spot! Southwest flies there.
Placencia in the southern peninsula of Belize is wonderful. Great food, friendly people, lots of things to do and the exchange rate is 2 to 1 and never changes.
We were there in 2018 and I still remember going to a restaurant called Dawns where we each had 2 lobsters for dinner—price for both was $24, including excellent coconut rice.
I highly recommend Placencia—the only downside is most travelers have to take three flights to get there.
hard not to laugh at mayor pete coming to offer advice and people taking him seriously. guy literally has zero experience in anything transportation related and his opinion is no more valid than yours or mine on what can help hawaii
the average hawaiian tourist is not aware there is a rail system in honolulu and spending money on it in the name of propmoting tourism is probably missing the mark
Killing hosted STVR’s (vacation rentals from owner occupied homes) as we kill off the STVR ability for those who operate several to many airbnbs is the height of idiocy. Many people who operate hosted STVRs can only afford their houses or farms if they short term rent.
Incredible that they are going to increase the current 18% transient accommodations tax. They just increased it recently when the state decided to keep the entire tax for itself and stop sharing it with the counties. Then telling the counties that they could tack on the lost 3% to the amount. Then if you figure that the tax is a percentage of the nightly rate, and rates have increased. Now they are receiving more money for that as well.
Interesting how Hawaii: A) doesn’t want vacationers although almost the entire economy lives on tourism. B) wants to restrict or do away with short term rentals many of which were purchased by locals as income producing vehicles. Hawaii is shooting itself in the foot with the anti tourist track it is taking.
The prices last year of accomodations and entertainment have made the decision for this year obvious my friends and I have decided against Hawaii. In the California desert where the golf courses are well maintained and though pricy have friendly and helpful staff. Hawaii has fallen drastically in the hospitality arena.
Robert b
Hawaii is the most beautiful place on earth. I live on the mainland. My brother lives in south point. I visit when ever I can. I pray for the family loss of lahina. It sounds like complex problems for residents and tourist. Moratorium on short term rentals probably good idea. I would like to buy a home near my brother. I will be a community volunteer to help out I have many talents. Aloha.
We are going on our third whole-family vacation to Hawaii in May. There are 20 of us. The other two trips were in 2019 and 2022. It is astonishing how much prices of everything have shot up since 2019 and 2022! Unfortunately the week we picked in May this year is much more popular than we thought it would be. Air fare and lodging are unreasonably expensive and have stretched our budget. We use short term rentals, and we are paying high prices for units that are sub par to what we used to be able to rent. 2024 will be our last family-vacation to Hawaii. Sadly we feel Hawaii resources are Over Priced and Underdelivered.
Hawaii is no different than anywhere prices are high everywhere and anything
Bring more money and have a wonderful time.
Inflation has devalued everyone’s spending power over the past 3 years and is likely to continue. It would be nice to think tourists have a money tree in their backyard where they can just go picking and ‘bring more money…’.
The anti-tourist attitudes of island isolationists will have dire consequences for those that can’t envision a life they are creating for themselves, without jobs, infrastructure and social services paid for by visitors. Careful what you wish for.
Hawaii is very different. It’s the highest accommodation tax on earth.
My wife and I have been coming to the islands for over 35 years, at least once a year. We’ve never had any issues from locals. However the cost of vacationing has risen dramatically and it appears we’ll make this year our last visit. We just spent 12 days traveling to Costa Rica, incredible sights, welcoming locals, fantastic food and much lower priced than Hawaii. You may get your wish of fewer visitors at a higher price but then again you may not. Please don’t expect us to support your economy in that case. Plus your local governments have no clue on how to spend your tax dollars properly. Even the golden goose can lay only so many eggs. Best wishes on your recovery.
Because there is no place else like beautiful Hawaii (in the US), we will continue to go. I’ve usually felt welcome, even this past fall in Maui, when our timeshare told us we could not cancel. Governments are usually out of touch, so I still believe Hawaii will always needs respectful, responsible tourists to spend their money. Really, is there anywhere else that compares…?
Appears the political leaders of Hawaii need to spend more time understanding the best way to solve Hawaii, delima. Penalizing the tourists will bring A troubled economy.
We visited Maui many times,always stayed in the same condo. But rates went crazy from 210 a night to 420. We haven’t visited now for 3 years.
As a visitor to Hawaii every couple of years and recently to Kona, Hawaii, we were so saddened by the fire damage to Lahaina that we didn’t want to intrude into that area that has been our favorite. Instead we visited Kona. We were totally shocked at the filth of the airport in Kona. Cochroaches coming up from holes in the filthy concrete floors that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in years. That is the first impression of your state. We did enjoy the culture of the area, restaurants and some beaches but the lasting impression is the airport at our entrance and departure. Infrastructure really needs attention. We do agree that Maui has become so commercialized with big box shopping centers that are a detraction.
Isn’t slowdown of tourism a good thing and what Hawaiians wanted? Shouldn’t this be celebrated? Our family and many others we know on the mainland have decided not to return to Hawaii anytime soon due to the anti-tourism sentiment combined with out of control prices and declining service.
Who owns that shut down sugar cane land and structures on Maui? That area behind Target.
Can that not be turned into residential living?
Turn it into a bunch of condos.
That is done everywhere in our country. They take old breweries, and other buildings and turn them into condos. They end up being really beautiful.
It is hard and very expensive to ship building materials to the islands since it is out to nowhere in the ocean.
Remodeling that sugar cane factory, you already have the structure built and some.
This thought of Hawaii closing down short term rentals, condos etc makes me wonder if the Hotel industry and the Restaurant industry on Maui are in cahoots on closing up the short term rentals.
You can cook you own meals in the condos and short term rentals. Does Maui want you to go out and eat at the restaurants more? To put money in the restaurant’s pockets.
The restaurants are already so crowded there. How is that going to work.
And you come there with your family with young kids, having to go out to eat for every meal is not realistic.
Something I have been thinking about is the newer Safeway, Target, Longs Drugs in Kauai (I am sure other islands have seen similar growth), I suspect part of the reason these stores have opened is demand from STR and people cooking for themselves or need other supplies.
What happens if STR is reduced or eliminated and those visitors are no longer cooking for themselves or just stop coming all together, there won’t be enough “high value visitors” to support the stores, lets face it a large percentage of shoppers are most likely not locals.
David, that’s a really good point. I hadn’t even considered the impact on the grocery stores, Target, etc. The problem is that those stores are not owned on-island, and the thinking is, right or wrong, that the profits don’t stay on-island. The current climate is if it doesn’t directly benefit the on-island residents (even if it will indirectly affect them later), the elected officials don’t really care what happens to them.
It’s the voters that count.
Very good points… I think what Hawaiians might end up finding out is that a lot of the amenities they have grown accustomed to and use regularly, could cease to exist if tourism declines.
I can appreciate wanting to have businesses owned on Island, but I suspect the reality is that there is probably not anyone local that could open those types of business, even if they could they they would not have the same buying power and be able to pass along the savings that people are accustomed to and rely on.
It is interesting to learn that the hotels are against short term vacation rentals. Well, no wonder. They seek to reduce the competition of lower cost and more economical accommodations. Duh! For tourists to be able to cook their own meals enables families to make affordable trips to Hawaii and avoid or reduce reliance on outrageously priced hotel rooms and restaurant dining.
We used to stay at Kapalua for 1 month each year, with current prices your bubble will burst, so sad….get serious about your prices.
We have have been regular visitors since the 70s. The evolution of the experience over that time has been profound but understandable. Everything changes and you can’t go back to the way it was. However, what is going on now is shocking and shows complete ignorance of what has made a visit to the islands so special to so many for so long.
We will never stay in a hotel/resort. We have had great experiences and flexibility with the various STRs we have used.
Our love of Hawaii will now just be great memories. We’re moving on to greener pastures.
Hawaii officials are taxing every thing to death ! Yet the
infrastructure of the State continues to crumble. Areas around Honolulu and Waikki are disgusting and I will definitely look else to vacation after going there for 30 years .
I first traveled to Hawaii 55 years ago. Follow up with 14 more trips. I still believe it to be a paradise, but a troubled Paradise due to over saturation and more dependency on tourism they should be be. I truly hope that a successful solution will be enacted.
U.S. travel has driven the Hawaii travel industry and economy since the bust of the Japanese economy in the 80’s. Covid has caused a stop and revaluation. The results have been a steep rise of the cost of everything from room rates, food, taxes (on everything that deals with tourism), poor service due to the lack of staffing. There are many alternatives from visiting the islands that are way move attractive. I have visited Hawaii many times, but I will not be back. There will be day when the state will be pleading with people to come. But the state is heading the wrong direction.