Hawaii Travel Is Recession-Proof According To State

Hawaii Travel Vengeance Resumes As State Remains Out of Step

Hawaii visitor arrivals are, without doubt, about to go through the roof. We’re in the low-season lull before the storm. This summer will see domestic arrival numbers beyond anything ever before.

Hawaii aficionados are ready to book and to spend.

With Covid subsiding across the US and here in Hawaii, anyone who loves travel is thinking about where they will go next, on that perhaps long-postponed trip. Your editors are both passionate travelers, as an example, and our wings have been entirely clipped throughout Covid. But starting next month, Beat of Hawaii hits the road (skies) again, both across the state and beyond.

Hawaii isn’t prepared and remains out of step.

Covid restrictions are still in effect in Hawaii. Those include both indoor mask mandates and the Hawaii Safe Travels quarantine exemption program. That requires specific proof of testing or vaccination requirements to avoid the still in effect 5-day mandatory quarantine.

The rest of the US has eliminated or plans to eliminate any such requirements. That came yesterday when New Mexico and Washington both said they are removing indoor mask mandates. This happened just one day after the CDC said it is reviewing a possible upcoming change to mask guidance.

How steep a Hawaii travel demand will we see?

We don’t know yet just how busy Hawaii will be, this summer for example, but it will be intense. There are widespread reports this week that the entire travel industry is seeing a huge increase in vacation demand.

People are ready to travel, ready for adventure, and ready to spend.

Given the unknowns in the world today, including whether some other form of Covid could again rear its ugly head, people are jumping to take advantage of the current opportunity to get on the road, or in the plane in Hawaii’s case.

As visitors return en masse, will Hawaii be ready for them?

Complications in Hawaii include a severe lack of employees at restaurants and throughout the hospitality. A plethora of workers decided to simply do something else rather than return to those jobs. Even as the industry is willing to pay more than ever for help, they simply are not finding it. Hospitality workers nationwide saw wage increases of 14% last year alone. As a result of the staff shortages, restaurants on all the islands face reduced hours.

Wells Fargo says we have $2.4 Trillion ready to spend.

According to Wells Fargo, largely as a result of savings due to staying home, no travel, and no dining out, Americans saved a fortune that they are now ready to spend on travel, with Hawaii vacations obviously near the top of the demand chain. That is part of the reason that Hawaii vacation demand will soar. It is also thought that people are willing to spend more than normal, which speaks to luxury Hawaii travel.

Hawaii is out of step on Covid protocols.

Hawaii now has the dubious honor of being the only remaining state with an indoor mask mandate. And the governor has been unwilling to announce the specific time frame or conditions on which that requirement or Hawaii Safe Travels will be removed.

Ige said this week only that he is working with the State Dept. of Health to decide on when the time is right. He said that it is specifically because of the mask mandate that the state has had such a low incidence of Covid-related deaths. Ige indicated he is using science and community health as his guidance.

This comes even as we’ve been discussing “Hawaii Poised To Scrap All Travel Rules & Mask Mandate.”

What’s your take on Hawaii’s position on mask mandates among other restrictions?

78 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Vengeance Resumes As State Remains Out of Step”

  1. Hawaii is always about 6 months to 2 years behind the curve. Government officials not the brightest flowers in the bunch. Its gonna be extremely difficult for them to let go of their control. 🙁

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  2. FWIW, Washington is currently lifting it’s mandate on March 21st and Oregon no later than March 30th. I suppose they could be sooner but HI is not the only state to still have mandates in place.

    We’re looking forward to being on the north shore of Oahu at the beginning of March. We’re going with friends who have never been. Maybe they’ll be lifted by then which would be great but the masks are barely a nuisance any more and we spend most of our time outside anyway.

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  3. I think it is so stupid for Hawaii to still have mask mandates when visitors are arriving from all over the world where they no longer have any COVID restrictions. Many Hawaiian residents also travel to places with no mask mandates. Mask are more harmful than good and many people do not even wash their reusable masks. Imagine how many germs are on the mask. Common sense is more beneficial in deciding on mask mandates. We will end up with lung issues and other health issues because of masks.

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    1. Please understand that your logic actually should encourage masking. Some southern states are still at a vax rate under 50%. The very fact that the virus travels with travelers going and coming speaks to the importance of masking, especially with Omicron. As for mask use and safety, one can avoid that reusable mask problem by cycling 3-5 N-95. Simply rotate using the same mask every 3-5 days. Left in the sun, virus and bacterial particles are gone within 1-3 days.

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  4. I just got back from my first vacation in Hawaii (Oahu). It was wonderful and I will be back! However, as beautiful as it is there and as welcoming as the people are, the mask/vax thing was ridiculous. Come on, Hawaii! It’s not necessary and is a burden. Get over it. Nothing could ruin an otherwise wonderful vacation, but it would have been even better without the mask/vax nonsense.

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