A new hotel tax hike will add $100M a year for climate projects—but it may only be the beginning for Hawaii travelers.
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70 thoughts on “Hawaii Trips Got Pricier And Green Fee Is Just The Start”
A new hotel tax hike will add $100M a year for climate projects—but it may only be the beginning for Hawaii travelers.
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We just visited the islands and many of the service providers were saying the same thing, that tourism was way down because of rising cost and it was hurting them. Drivers, tourism providers, waitresses, etc. Were saying they were negatively impacted because of how expensive it was getting. One even blamed it all on Trump. I wonder how they feel about these fees. I also wonder how much of it will actually get used as stated in the fund raising packages. Hmmmm. I do agree with them in that it is getting very expensive to be in Hawaii.
Hawaii, the corruption is rampant, the $M’s raised for Maui Relief, is nowhere to be found, Governor Ige before Governor Green, had the Unemployment System of the State over $500M upside-down, in 2019, there was a Nuclear Attack Warning in Waikiki, Senator Hirono immediately blamed the U.S. Navy, ended up being some long-time City or County employee who failed Protocol’s, ask them about the Light Rail that was going to connect Eva to Honolulu in 1975, 50 years later, it hasn’t gotten to Honolulu International Airport! big on the blame game with no solutions!
We have traveled a Great deal in the last 40 years. We have traveled to Las Vegas Three Times a year for the last 30 years. We Stopped going to Las Vegas last year because of the Unreasonable High Prices and Nickel and Dimeing (Just Principle). We have gone to Hawaii Twice a Year for the last 15 years. It looks like we (WIll Stop) going to Hawaii (Just Like Vegas) because of the High Prices and Nickel and Dimeing. This will be our Last Year to Hawaii!! Greed is a Terrible thing. So Unnecessary!
Hotel fee, park fee, parking fee, fees, fees, fees. How about one for your tour operators on land or ocean. These are the businesses reaping the harm to the native environment as they take people to where they don’t belong on tours but would be free to discover for themselves. Capt. Cook didn’t have a tour guide yet he killed many 100,000 of thousands of Hawaiian species called maoli kanaka’s. 🤔
Rather than blaming the people who bring the money, look into the people who have been taking your money. Your representatives in DC, are spending your money like Maziee. Vote in someone who won’t waste your lives, heritage and money. Stop blaming the tourists.
Hi, we go Hawaii annually from Japan to visit with family from the mainland and enjoy the Island weather , sights, and culture I use to live in Kaneohe and thoroughly enjoy visiting Oahu. However the price of everything(flights, hotel, food, etc.) is making me reconsider my winter trip since Asia is more accessible and inexpensive. Since Covid the island vibe just isn’t there when I land at Daniel Inouye Airport.
Regards, Randy, Osaka, Japan
Regards
I guess it’s time to head back to the Virgin Islands.
Our timeshare in Kauai is raising the 2026 maintenance fee by 20% to pay for rising insurance costs & employee retention by increasing wages. Add the additional green fee making a 19% hotel tax , makes it unaffordable for some people. With the exchange rate at $1.40 Cdn for $1.00 U.SD these increases can make it impossible for many Canadians, who have been annual visitors to the island for many years. We now have to reconsider the cost versus value even more, adding increased car rentals, increased groceries & increased costs at restaurants, not to mention paid activities like whale tours, scuba diving , helicopter rides, just to name a few.
Many are considering other tropical locations that are more affordable.
Political incompetence and corruption
There are clear reasons why Hawaii’s economy is horrible, compared to that of other States: crazy over-regulation of everything conceivable, super-high taxation of everything under the sun, and grossly wasteful spending. Has anyone ever seen any taxes or wasteful spending in Hawaii ever decrease? Since 1982, I have not.
I usually visit the Islands 3-4 times a year. I currently have two trips planned this Fall. With the rising costs of hotel stays (with less service) And increasing taxes & fees, plus rising air fare, it’s becoming increasingly difficult. I am now Canceling one of my Fall trips and I’m re-thinking any Spring trip.
It’s a shame as Hawaii was always my go-to place for complete relaxation. Coming from the West coast, the ease of getting to the Islands always made it worth it……. Until now!
So many beautiful Caribbean islands to explore. From the west coast, I would recommend Aruba, Bonaire or Curucao. Straight shot down to South America, United Airlines thru DFW is how we went. Obviously Hawaiians feel the rest of America owes them something. We’ll be exploring the Caribbean here on out. They can have their bitterness and crappy infrastructure all to themselves!
Please don’t blame the people. Blame the corrupt machine here. Green deal? Look at those stupid windmills on north shore. This will affect any good hardworking people. What a shame!
After 50 years of almost yearly visits of 2 weeks to almost 2 months, I have never felt less welcomed. All the taxes and fees visitors pay seem to vanish into thin air, or do they go into politicians pockets? Roads that needed repaired years ago still are not touched. Hotel & resort chains continue to build mega buildings, but no seems to care. Don’t blame the visitors for everything. The lack of visitors I see this year tells me people can’t afford, or don’t feel welcome to travel here. There are many places that are more receptive to visitors. They must be going to those places. Foreign travel, especially from Japan, is nothing now. I hope the people of Hawaii realize how their government is failing them before it is too late.
Well said.
Only at 30 years of Hawaii travel, close to 100 weeks, but besides your points so well made, there is the not so subtle under-current of racism, and statements that would seem to prefer a return to the 19th Century. One Party Rule, is not working, the feeling of being owed something by Americans from other States and charging them for what the States own Government fails to deliver. No one complained before the millennia, though Japanese tourism dropped off precipitously in the mid-late ‘90’s, but that was predominantly Oahu. It was the State that didn’t follow the Surveys that would have protected west Maui, it was the Utility Companies that exacerbated the disastrous Fires of August 7, 2023, that saw but the Governor and the Maui Fire Chief out of State during the conflagration. It was a State Employee, who would not release water.
Wow, the tax and spend just gets deeper and deeper for Hawaii. The fund says that it goes toward a couple of projects, but you can bet it will also go toward high priced consultants, staffing and office space, and nothing will get done for years and years. By that time they will need to raise the taxes higher because they will have gotten so big they need more money.
Poor Hawaii, I hate to see this happen. Tourism will continue to drop because the average tourist can’t afford it, and the residents will not be able to stay because they can’t afford to live there.
You residents can stop this with who you elect… if you dare and really are tired of getting ripped of.
Before adding more fees, the state would be wise to start showing that the fees they are already charging are producing something (other than fatter pockets for politicians). Otherwise, I’ll continue to spend my discretionary dollars elsewhere. I just spent two weeks in Belize. The diving was better. The food was better. The people were friendlier. The cost was less. I will be going back next year. Hawaii—meh. The juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
Will never visit Hawaii again. Can you see me smiling?
“Fees” won’t stop us from coming … when we can. I think back over the 40-years we’ve regularly come to Hawaii twice yearly. At first we were strictly hotel people, then it got too expensive. Then we went with STR’s to save money. Then, costs (and local bad-ittude) reduced our trips from 2x year to 1x year. (The other trip we now take aboard)(Which costs us less!) We will still make the effort to come 1x year, but with the fees we will just not stay as long.