Hawaii is set to revive its push for a visitor fee in 2025, tapping into a strong global movement that demands travelers contribute to protecting the destinations they explore.
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77 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitor Fee Faces 2025 Comeback: What’s Next?”
No doubt, for people to be anywhere, it impacts the natural habitat and environment.
Although, what does invasive species have to do with a tourist fee? Tourists are not bringing any new species to Hawaii that I know of.
Hawaii has been a bit troublesome for travelers for a long time. Preferred parking for locals. Violence on the waves for non-local surfers, the ridiculous approach to c-19 flu and now a surcharge on visitors? Of course this is in addition to the outrageous hotel room Taxes! Yes, taxation without representation.
Appointed leaders like ms Chang should be eliminated/dethroned and cast off.
No Federal money to Hawaii as long as these practices continue!
Contemplate that one Hawaii!
On our first trip to Kaua’i 13 years ago, we pulled into Salt Pond Park. There was some sort of political rally going on. Saw nothing but anti U.S. banners and signs. The one that we will never forget said “Hawaiʻi is NOT the USA and never will be.”
That sentiment has only gotten worse.
I really cannot blame the Real Native Hawaiians for feeling that way. They were taken over in a pretty horrible way, It was not that long ago. I feal that way as I live on the mainland and see the millions pf illegals allowed and the destruction it is doing. Hawaii is a reflection of the demise of the American states if this continues to be allowed.
If travelers are visiting friends or relatives would they pay a fee? I own a timeshare in Hawaii that includes land for 30 years. Taxes are paid annually would I pay a fee?
Sounds like a good idea. Until you realize those in government will just spend, spend, spend with little or no real accountability.
So what is purpose of tourist impact fee? If you are looking at trash and pollution on the beach, might want to look on your own back yard. The homeless camps are getting issues with cars leaking gas, oil leaks, human waste, trash, and drugs. So you are taxing tourist to pay for cleanup?
No added fee that comes from this governor will get my support. If he is worried about the environment, he should rid our beaches and parks of criminals and drug addicts . No toilets there and if there are, they get destroyed and cost us taxes . Do not believe in this governing
Markets shmarkets, there’s money to be taken! Sorry Hawaii, but I think the aloha is gone.
Do whatever you want. After 40 years of regular travel to to islands, we have decided we won’t be going back.
Mission accomplished governor.
The time to have imposed an environmental fee was when tourism was at it’s peak, not now when the outer islands are seeing a softening in tourist numbers and inflation- fighting travelers are going to Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica and other more reasonable places to visit. Combined with hefty resort fees and taxes, it is not a great idea to add to these expenses.
Find money for the environment elsewhere and wait for the next wave. Brooke N.
Brooke, people going to Mexico and Costa Rica. No thanks. There is way too much danger there. Just read how many tourists are kidnapped, murdered etc.
As much as I do not agree with the Hawaiin govt and tourist association, if I had a choice I would pay the $25 fee. My life is worth more that that.
Maybe the governor should declare 2025 “The Year of No Tourists”. He certainly seems to be doing his part to kill the #1 industry in the state.
One word biodiversity. Bio means persons profile and diversity means ethnic origin. Does this have to do with tracking one’s spending habits and where they shop. Demographically one group of tourists spending more at certain restaurants, shops, and the extravagance of their shopping. Does this environmental fee pay to gather tourists shopping habits and retrieve data? What shops and restaurants need to raise their prices to make others seem like all is in check. This green’s fee tells them where you are residing but do they really know where you’re spending money? Paid reservations for parks, beaches, whats next?
You would think the reservation fees would be enough e has to pay 30 bucks for every place we went and we’re only allowed a 2 hour time frame 🧐
No Hawaii law that state you can’t pack an air mattress in your suitcase. If hotels and STR’s, Air BnB’s , are to collect these fees at check-in then how many will pull the one in the front door and two in the back door game. Sorry can’t I have guests. I can’t believe the state is making the hotels, STR’s ,Airbnb’s do their dirty work. If you stay at multiple sites or move to another hotel you pay twice or more per person. Vacations are meant to be able to relax, enjoy, make memories and have a great time. Not to pay thousands to be miserable.
Mauvelous! Let’s get those visitors, make ’em pay for desecrating HI! Make ’em pay for all the homeless and air pollution they cause. Then there is the low wages at all those expensive hotels and restaurants they go to! Make ’em pay (not the hotels, of course) for better wages. And climate control? All those rental cars are killing the environment! Make visitors pay for fixing the air (???).
$25? Make it $100/per person! Serves ’em right for despoiling HI culture and disrespecting the state as a whole. Remember HI legislature, HI is so desirable that there is not limit to the cost visitors are willing to pay to stay a few days in ‘paradise.’
Dennis D
Just blame the tourist? Make the tourist pay. Wow. I don’t know whether to advise you to cry, pout, hide, or find the mainlands next island Las Vegas. I would look at public crime records for any said island and then decide who victimizes the community. You will find it’s not the traveling tourist.
Thank you BOH for always keeping us in the loop. The green fee wouldn’t be such a hard pill to swallow if only we could be assured that it won’t be used as play money for the politicians. What do they have to show for all the tax money they already collect from tourists? More transparency is needed.
Quite so. Tons of visitor money from tourism rolls into the state each year. Where does it all go? Seems there is no accountability for it. Must be nice being able to spend the budget on stuff that is close to your heart, with no one saying, ‘Is it okay to do that?’ So it just ‘disappears’ under headings like, ‘infastructure repair/development’ or ‘curtural impact studies’ and ‘research on housing costs’. Tough to trace that kind of thing, and whose brother-in-law got the contract.
Oh what a lovely idea in a declining HI economy! More fees will keep HI #1 industry in decline. Who cares about us locals ability to pay bills? Buy food or gas? What’s not to love about another anti-tourist policy as long as the corrupt politicians here get more money for themselves. This is another idiotic idea which will help ruin Hawaii’s #1 industry, the visitor industry… the goal of most in govt. Venezuela here we come!
Hawaii has dug its own ‘hole’ when it comes to its economy. The islands have too long ridden on the back of tourism, with no real effort to attract technology and industry to provide a solid base for a sound economy. As populations of visitor countries increase, so do the number of visitors to HI. Then the folks of HI complain about ‘all those visitors ruining the beauty of HI, clogging the streets and beaches, trashing the environment’, etc.. So the visitors don’t come (fat chance), and now it’s, “Wait!!! Come back! I need a job!’ But that’s not really the answer to the problems of Affordable Housing, Cost of Food and Gas, Rent, etc., is it?
Sorry, but Gov. Green has a hard time investing tax dollars for the initiative they were collected for. This will only be another tax shuffled off to general revenue to support the latest crisis. Many locals continue to ask where have all the other increased tourism tax dollars gone?
Yup, back to the basic question about tourism dollars: “Where does all that money go?”
Hawaii is already getting an anti tourist reputation. People are hearing or noting the high prices for everything from lodging to eating out. Many of the visitors that are trying to visit rely on using STVR’s that allow a more relaxed stay that includes a kitchen and other amenity’s. It’s quite evident that Hawaii has put that under attack. So now a Green Fee… doesn’t matter how much it is, it still gives the message of “let’s stick it to the tourist”. Don’t see how this is suppose to help revive the tourist industry. It is the tourist dollars that fund much of the economic activity in Hawaii. Wonder where the breaking point will be.
Those tourists…the root of all all Hawaii problems….oh and the solution to all their problems. They certainly are chasing people away.
This government would love to just take over Maui. The “elite” or more like “dirty scroundels” want to take it over and the governor is part of that group. He really does not care as long as his pocket is lined.
One thing is for sure about the Hawaii government that is Still completely controlled – is that they are still believing that they can tax the state into prosperity which has Never worked anywhere and Never will! The programs that they say that the funds will be used for are just more boondoggles that Only politicians can come up with! As the saying goes, you always get what you vote for and the prime example of that can be found on Oahu with the elevated rail system that they had to steal tax dollars from all of the other Islands in order to fund it while then allowing all of the other county governments to impose yet another tax to offset what they stole!