43 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Future Uncertain: Continuing Declines + Other Concerns”
Alex
My family has been visiting the islands twice a year since my kids were born. We are west coast so it was the natural vacation spot for us. The last few times I just couldn’t shake the feeling of being gouged and taken advantage of everywhere we went. I love Hawaii but I don’t feel welcome anymore after COVID. We used to only eat out but the last few times it was Costco and home cooking only in order to keep the costs down. Spent a lot more time on the beach and much less on paid activities. This year was our first time we haven’t gone to HI and we went to Florida and had a blast.
Having been in the communications business in many ways, from radio, tv,telecommunications (for many Hawaii hotels) and data communications, I must observe this:
1. Multiple star hotels aren’t making a profit until 85% occupancy or more. Below that amount they usually have to lay people off (except operations).
2.) If you can reserve a room or condo for a good price in advance, remember it helps to have a cancelation clause up to 30 days before your vacation.
3. The same thing for a Turo car rental car (they offer same).
The true measure of Hawaii economy is the number of layoffs reported by hotel and rental car employees-be they short term or long term. Why doesn’t the state give us those numbers?
Just returned from the Big Island. We hadn’t been since before covid. Gouged is how we felt. The flight was reasonable but everything else was outrageous. Accommodations, car rental, food, attractions, everything felt like it was doubled in price. Parking in Kona for 3 hours was $40.
Well, less visitors. Hawaii is getting what it wants. People, like myself, have found other warm beach locations to go to. Less time in a plane as well! And bonus… the locals appreciate and like to have visitors.
We just abandoned our Hawaii plans for Thanksgiving. This would have been our 7th trip to Hawaii. The cheapest airfare we could find was $1800 a person from Denver. Between that and skyrocketing hotel costs, we were forced to go somewhere cheaper (FL). I hate that this is happening. We love Hawaii so much but just couldn’t be squeezed anymore.
On travel sites this same conversation is going on about all popular destinations.
End of August we’re going to Las Vegas all travel sites talk is how expensive it is to stay in Vegas verses the past. Disneyland is another example. Tahoe, San Diego, Monterrey and San Francisco all the same. Except San Francisco which is a crap show nobody wants to go there.
For several years the plan has been put into place to push out budget travel to Hawaii it looks as if the plan is working.
Thanks.Yes to a greater or lesser degree that’s true in many if not most tourism destinations. And we encountered that on the mainland in the past couple of weeks.
Beat of Hawaii’s editors have a number trips planed through the summer here in Hawaii and will report on that aspect among other things.
I am recommending to all my friends to pick a different vacation place then HI. It is pricing itself out of the market. The homeless situation is also out of hand with the Japanese visitors taking pictures of the tent cities to send back home. Hilo needs to wake up.
The reason a lot of Canadians are not visiting Hawaii right now is the exchange rate with the US dollar was a regular visitor from 2002-2020 hope the dollar goes down and will visit again Love the island
I love the islands, and won’t stop visiting, but the skyrocketing airfare hurts. It decreases what I can afford to spend to support small local business while on vacation (I am more likely to get food at Costco and perp it in my condo).
That, unfortunately for the hotels, is the story right now. Vacation rentals are still half the price of hotels for usually twice the space. On Maui, anyway.
My family has been visiting the islands twice a year since my kids were born. We are west coast so it was the natural vacation spot for us. The last few times I just couldn’t shake the feeling of being gouged and taken advantage of everywhere we went. I love Hawaii but I don’t feel welcome anymore after COVID. We used to only eat out but the last few times it was Costco and home cooking only in order to keep the costs down. Spent a lot more time on the beach and much less on paid activities. This year was our first time we haven’t gone to HI and we went to Florida and had a blast.
Having been in the communications business in many ways, from radio, tv,telecommunications (for many Hawaii hotels) and data communications, I must observe this:
1. Multiple star hotels aren’t making a profit until 85% occupancy or more. Below that amount they usually have to lay people off (except operations).
2.) If you can reserve a room or condo for a good price in advance, remember it helps to have a cancelation clause up to 30 days before your vacation.
3. The same thing for a Turo car rental car (they offer same).
The true measure of Hawaii economy is the number of layoffs reported by hotel and rental car employees-be they short term or long term. Why doesn’t the state give us those numbers?
Can B of H get those figures for us?
Hi MJ
We have some meetings coming up including with the governor and with the hotel industry and will ask. Thanks.
Aloha.
Just returned from the Big Island. We hadn’t been since before covid. Gouged is how we felt. The flight was reasonable but everything else was outrageous. Accommodations, car rental, food, attractions, everything felt like it was doubled in price. Parking in Kona for 3 hours was $40.
Well, less visitors. Hawaii is getting what it wants. People, like myself, have found other warm beach locations to go to. Less time in a plane as well! And bonus… the locals appreciate and like to have visitors.
We just abandoned our Hawaii plans for Thanksgiving. This would have been our 7th trip to Hawaii. The cheapest airfare we could find was $1800 a person from Denver. Between that and skyrocketing hotel costs, we were forced to go somewhere cheaper (FL). I hate that this is happening. We love Hawaii so much but just couldn’t be squeezed anymore.
Hawaii has been working on killing the golden goose of tourism for many years. If they’re not very careful, they may just succeed.
Its done in the name of managing impacts, but they seem to forget that one of those impacts is that tourism fuels 40% of the economy.
On travel sites this same conversation is going on about all popular destinations.
End of August we’re going to Las Vegas all travel sites talk is how expensive it is to stay in Vegas verses the past. Disneyland is another example. Tahoe, San Diego, Monterrey and San Francisco all the same. Except San Francisco which is a crap show nobody wants to go there.
For several years the plan has been put into place to push out budget travel to Hawaii it looks as if the plan is working.
Hi Richard.
Thanks.Yes to a greater or lesser degree that’s true in many if not most tourism destinations. And we encountered that on the mainland in the past couple of weeks.
Beat of Hawaii’s editors have a number trips planed through the summer here in Hawaii and will report on that aspect among other things.
I am recommending to all my friends to pick a different vacation place then HI. It is pricing itself out of the market. The homeless situation is also out of hand with the Japanese visitors taking pictures of the tent cities to send back home. Hilo needs to wake up.
The reason a lot of Canadians are not visiting Hawaii right now is the exchange rate with the US dollar was a regular visitor from 2002-2020 hope the dollar goes down and will visit again Love the island
I love the islands, and won’t stop visiting, but the skyrocketing airfare hurts. It decreases what I can afford to spend to support small local business while on vacation (I am more likely to get food at Costco and perp it in my condo).
That, unfortunately for the hotels, is the story right now. Vacation rentals are still half the price of hotels for usually twice the space. On Maui, anyway.