Hawaii’s governor said his environmental impact fee will raise up to $600M per year and simultaneously reduce the quantity of Hawaii’s “low-end” visitors.
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199 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitor $50 “Green” Fees: How, When, Where?”
Hawaii’s governor said his environmental impact fee will raise up to $600M per year and simultaneously reduce the quantity of Hawaii’s “low-end” visitors.
Here’s an idea that I hope isn’t very good and they won’t use…
How about making everyone buy a “green fee” card that’s good for one year from the date of purchase. Just like during Covid you had to show proof of getting your shot, this would serve to show you’ve paid your fee. It would be a one time purchase so you could visit as many times as you wanted and go from hotel to hotel. So even though locals would have to buy one (discounted?) it would go for environmental impact that travel causes. Local or not.
See… I told you it was a dumb idea. 🙂
Wow… so they want to only the elite to visit now? Good thing is the $$ spends well elsewhere and there are many other tourist locations globally that have much better value. Reduced tourism will likely hurt the local economy with less customers and force them to either increase price or perhaps fold. Not sure if this is sound economic policy.
If the Doctor orders it, it must be good for someone!
Rich, Good Economic Policy in Hawaii? Really? If that were to occur again it would mean that the other party took over for a short period of time.
Soon, Hawaii will be only for the rich and famous. I’ll be heading to Mexico in the future like I have been for the last two years. In addition, the culture in Mexico is authentic unlike the faux Polynesian culture promoted in HI.
Agreed amazingly Cancun was awsome
Aloha – I need to clarify a few things since you keep bringing up the “Green” fee. 1) HVCB is not semi-defunct. HVCB and the Island Chapters are still in force as we were during the pandemic, and 2) HVCB did not say the “Green” fee was “dead on arrival”. A reporter whose last interview before leaving The Garden Island said I said this when I did not. In fact, I had another person on the Zoom with me who confirmed I never said the words “dead on arrival”. However, the reporter left TGI immediately after this Green fee article was published and we had no one to correct the wrong quote. I say this now because it seems to keep coming up in your articles. Mahalo, Sue K
I actually wouldn’t have corrected it, it sounded like someone had guts, leadership qualities and common sense. I should have known better and stand corrected.
I think it’s disgusting how Green referred to the $50 fee as a way to reduce low end visitors! I am embarrassed to be a Hawaii resident. Those same “low end” visitors are the ones with incomes on par with alot of the Hawaii workforce. Sounds like Green is trying to gouge travelers just like every other industry – like Disney, and others.
However the bigger issue is how much money he says it will raise – 600M!! I bet he failed to mention that Hawaii is sitting on a 2BN surplus and that the G.E.T generates about 4 billion dollars – a whopping 37% of the states revenues compared with other states that have sales taxes which generate about 23% of their revenues. So why does the state need so much more money?? More government waste
Just a short while ago, Kauai’s mayor said he didn’t want “coupon clippers” on his island.
Horrible … who doesn’t want to save $$. I’m sure all the Vendors and Businesses that use those Coupon books wouldn’t agree. Nor the Coupon books themselves. Not everyone can be wealthy. BOH I guess you have your answers …
I’m concerned with the quote “low end” visitors. In my experience, it is visitors who have a less to spend who tend to care more for their surroundings, the culture, etc. hose who spend more money sometimes have the attitude that all things are “owed” to them. Visitors who camp, spend time in smaller accommodations, or try to experience local culture may be spending less, but I think they want to keep their experience as green as possible anyway. Thoughts?
They shall Reap what they sow. Greed and Avarice isn’t a new mouthwash but it will get a person washed out. In Hawaiian Politics I often wonder if Every Day is Payday?
As “low end” visitors to Hawaii Island our last visit to Hawaii last December was our last visit. We were feed and taxed to the extreme with hotel fees, beach fees, etc. it cost us $15 per visit to the beach where we used not one local paid for asset except breathing the air. I did manage to play one and only one round of golf on the Mauna Lani golf course. I shot a reasonable score of 72:which cost me $3.91 per stroke. No golf course in the world is worth that. Not even a Hawaiian “high end” golf course. I also when scuba diving for $$1.75 a minute to look at tired reefs. We were counting the days until we could go home. An extra $100 doesn’t seem like much but it is the straw that will break our backs. Costco will miss us “low Enders.”
I’d prefer localized fees, so monies collected can better go to that facility. In turn, the fee could be discounted with a Hawaii ID. I’ve watched as places meant free for residents’ well-being & education (while underfunded by our taxes) are swamped & overrun by visitors, and promoted on social media feeds. Botanical gardens can’t serve up classes and tours when their small staff is chasing tourists. Those, or quiet beaches are no longer pleasant when parking & toilets are overrun by visitors looking for next free “hidden gem” to brag & post about. (Even watched vans of tourists, led by tour guide, take over restrooms for an hour and leave with the “free” TP.) Enforcement would help too, but that’s not likely forthcoming for remote parks.
Enforcement would mean Money which Hawaii doesn’t have, just ask them. Sometimes the Priorities of others don’t match the expectations of the wronged.
My mom and i travel to Hawaii once a year. Sometimes two. We absolutely love the islands. We follow the rules. We stay off the coral, leave the wildlife alone, pick up trash, feed the homeless and respect the culture whole heartedly. But it is getting more and more difficult to justify going. Not all tourists are the same. Sure, there’s a buttmunch here and there but there’s also people like us. We’re not rich but we make it work.
Now, we’re going to be slapped with a $50 green fee. We’re there for 10 days while there are locals that live there that I’m sure do way more damage. We were just there in December and I watched a local throw a lit cigarette butt out of his car onto the road. Give me a break!! No words for this gov!!
Governor Green I hope you plan on investing some of that money in the huge homeless population that Hawaii has.
I’m Certain that after the 2 Billion Dollars that he wasted a year ago without any results can surely gobble up more money to yield the same, no results. Anyway, Hawaii began rotating the Houseless back to the mainland, Justice is being served! Hopefully Green isn’t sending them back in First Class.