The CEO of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), Chris Tatum, announced yesterday that he will retire and leave not only his job but also Hawaii. This comes as we undoubtedly face the worst situation and the greatest challenges ahead in Hawaii travel. This vacancy calls for someone creative, with an extensive background in tourism marketing. Tatum will be departing his position in August and moving to Colorado at that time.
Tatum has worked in travel for decades, largely at Marriott. He took the helm at long-troubled HTA about 18 months ago. Yesterday Tatum said, “I’m happy with what we’ve accomplished… I’m very proud of the HTA team and our refocused plans to develop a balanced strategy for tourism.”
HTA funding is largely based on accommodation taxes, which essentially dried up two months ago and have not restarted. Even when Hawaii travel restarts, funding will return at a trickle. We have not heard how the state plans to support Hawaii marketing going forward. The HTA budget for 2020 was $86 million, while the projected 2021 budget is now set at just $55 million.
Troubled past and unknown future at HTA.
What this means is that the critically important agency is again facing an unknown future at a time when leadership is most needed. The agency has had a very difficult past. The prior head, George Szigeti was fired by the HTA board in 2018, and lost his $300k job, without cause. At that time, the state auditor said that HTA suffered from “lax oversight (and) deficient internal controls.”
Hawaii travel stakeholders have privately shared with us their concerns about HTA and the state’s abilities, leadership, and direction in tourism for years. In recent times, the agency has also had an abnormally high turnover rate, with at least a dozen key staff departures. Given that they have only about 20 full-time employees, that is an absurd number of comings and goings, and does not bode well for HTA.
The prior CEO’s abrupt firing came right on the heels of rapid-fire departures of the prior chief operating officer and the chief marketing officer, who both left unexpectedly.
Hawaii’s governor has no background in tourism.
At the helm in Hawaii is Governor David Ige, whose background does not include Hawaii travel. He worked for Hawaiian Telcom for 18 years, and has held other engineering positions. He came to be governor following years in the state senate after first being appointed to and serving in the state assembly. Ige’s legislative career was focused on IT and telecom initiatives.
What else? Before they increase taxes, they should do a thorough investigation of the HTA. Something’s rotten in Denmark. Or Honolulu…
When is HawAii gonna be open? For tourism?
That sound like an exceptional idea:)
Well documented re epidemiologists that indoor/shutdown kicks vi rus can down road. Exposure except to vulnerable develops antibodies, allows vi rus to die out especially outdoors. No guarantees ever will be a vac cine. Social n psych control the goal for unwitting naive citizenry. Will devastate ur economy. Brave leadership like in Already open states needed.
Who deserves your loyalty as a passenger? Here’s a clue.
From the Hawaiian Airlines site:
–Tickets purchased between March 1 and June 30, 2020: No change fees for any changes made within two (2) years of the original ticket purchase date. A fare difference may apply.
–Tickets purchased before March 1, 2020 with travel dates between March 1 and Sept. 30, 2020: No change fees for rebooked travel that begins on or before May 31, 2022. A fare difference may apply.
From the Alaska Airlines site:
–Tickets Purchased On / Before February 27, 2020 – June 30, 2020
Original Travel Dates February 27, 2020 – May 31, 2021
New Travel Dates: One year from the original travel date
Bottom line: Hawaiian Air will give you two years. Alaska Air will give you up to one year.
Unless there’s some other information hidden away somewhere, Hawaiian Air deserves more customer loyalty. (An impression reinforced by my negative experience in dealing with Alaska Air when forced to cancel our trip this spring due to C0VID.)
Hawaiian Air is by far the most prepared of any airline serving Hawaii to deal with the the new norm.
As always, all they do is serve Hawaii so that’s their speciality. They have their own terminal in HNL and a well sorted
set of protocols already in place. As well as the fact that they are the only airline that the employee’s are primarily from Hawaii.
It’s a big difference and of course you are supporting Hawaii when you “fly local”
An unqualified bureaucratic head of State, no leadership: failure. My sympathies to the victim residents. Better choices next election.
Aloha, Been reading your posts for months now hoping to see an end to the travel restrictions. I feel like I have one more week to wait to see if Hawaii will open to mainland visitors and then I will have to put Hawaii on the back burner for next year and find something closer to home for a July vacation with my kids. I really really want to come to Hawaii and spend my vacation dollars. I am looking forward to the big reveal that was implied for the coming week. Please keep us posted. Hawaii we miss you! Mahalo.
Hi Tammy.
Thanks.
Aloha.
It is so unfortunate. I rescheduled my trip to Hawaii with my family and 3 times Hawaii said they did not want us! Cancelled for good. Have to say at this point I will probably not come as it left a bad feeling . I wonder how many other tourists feel the same way.
YouR economy will have to live with your decisions ! So sad
Can you tell us how, exactly, Hawai’i said they “didn’t want” you? You’re free to go there any time you like – provided you have the decency to observe the self-quar antine rules (which are very similar to those enacted in two dozen other states). No state or city needs visitors who won’t abide by some simple rules. The good thing about the current situation is that it appears to be weeding out the undesirable visitors. Everyone (including returning residents) has to follow the same rules. It’s part of being a responsible adult.
Moral Narcissism: find a cure
So well put! Agree totally
I agree w cathy. Dave p or hawaii doesnt get to slander any tourists lol. They will suffer consequences of it
GREAT – Jump ship when our state needs you the most. Thanks Chris. There is definitely something going on within HTA that we all need to know about. Would be nice if Chris could tell us upon his departure…..
Its probably the sentiments of local Hawaiians that dont want the tourists to come back so they can enjoy uncrowded islands and go back to tribal living without anything to sustain the economy.
And no one is coming up with any plans for self sustaining hawaii as of yet. I find it very odd and troubling that people would be so ignorant about the situation. The hta leader im sure felt like it was a loosing battle to put out any pr messages when hawaii has made it crystal clear what they want.
Tourists not welcome because they are pre judged to be disrespectful Etc etc. no one wants to deal with this garbage they want to go on vacation and be carefree and escape the grind. Not cater to native Hawaiians every want or need? Nor would coming to the mainland be acceptable under the reverse situation.