“People will still come,” says Hawaii’s governor, defending plans to raise travel-related taxes yet again.
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72 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitors May Soon Face More Than Just Hotel Taxes”
“People will still come,” says Hawaii’s governor, defending plans to raise travel-related taxes yet again.
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We currently own a rental condo and have seen these taxes and other charges keep going up dramatically in the past 4 years. The insurance rate adjustment and HOA increases are at an all time high and don’t seem to be slowing. If it were just the state tax, owners may adjust but that has just opened the flood gates for increases on every service.
The return on rentals has gone down while the overall rental goes costs go up. At some point it just isn’t worth keeping the investment. The airfare has increased by double, rental cars have increased by double, and food price at restaurant’s are unreal. Try to switch and buy groceries so you can eat more often in your condo and you find that 12.00 a dozen for eggs, 10.00 per gall of milk. Sweet bread is 11.00 and so that has become a no win trying to reduce food costs here. If the high cost increase continue We will end up dumping our condo and move the investment back to commercial properties on the main land.
Aloha Lance, although grocery prices are expensive in Maui, the only supermarket I found to be gauging out of control was the Napili Plaza Shopping Center. I will never forget the $18 cranberry juice “on sale” and haven’t been back since ….and of course, nobody who lives there will shop in resorts. I personally drive to Whole Foods in Kahului once a week and buy what is on sale. Regarding restaurants, we know where to go and what times to get discounts. Regarding increases in condo fees, I found that most owners who don’t live in them, don’t follow the budget or what management does with their money ….anyways, long term rentals are still in high demand on Maui and you get a tax break, so those might be a better investment in the long run …
We’re visiting Hawaii in 2025, on a cruise, but if the proposed tax increases are enacted, it will be our last visit to the islands.
Governor Green is correct, but only partially. There does not seem to be a bottom to demand for Hawaii, all things being equal. However, Governor Green did not foresee the massive impact on global tourism caused by Trump and the ensuing economic chaos. I work in tourism (not to Hawai’i). Airlines worldwide are slashing their capacity. Tourism forecasts are down worldwide.
This is a no brainer and I am glad to see the cruise ship taxes. I have and will always think and believe they are an eye sore to every port I have had to view while roaming about a beautiful island. WHen I look out at the beautiful sea, I despise seeing a great big ship docked and people roaming about the shops like it was their first candy bar. But I personally believe travelling is about the land, the beauty of the people, and all its history, ….no shops, not restaurants, …not green space disturbance and cluttered water ways…period. p.s. leave your darn pets and whiny unbehaved children at home too! Yes, I’m old, but I have always and always been raised to honor the beauty of this earth, not clutter it with fake crap.
I agree with you on most points, but at least small souvenir shops and restaurants would help locals. I don’t like cruises (because of the environmental impact), but ironically won a trip to the Bahamas and were greeted with music and dance …I was surprised that the gift shops were pretty empty, but we bought some souvenirs, sunglasses, rum cake and a beach bag. I have never taken a cruise to Hawaii, but liked the way Hawaiians were chanting “come again” in 1989. And why not having Auntie sell them some banana bread before they board the ship again? I am sorry that people are now so divided. I don’t like extremes. (PS: I live in Maui)
My trip booked for October is going to be my last, at least for the foreseeable future, every time I visit the accomodation tax and those on rental cars seem to increase. I’m taking my mone where I get better value and I’m appreciate. Sorry it has to be this way Hawaii, you have no one to blame, but yourself.
A one-day Disneyland ticket costs between $98 and $271, depending on the date and tier.
$20 per day for visiting a whole island seems like a great deal!
This really has no impact on me. We’re visiting Maui for the last time now. We’ve been priced out.
Agreed. We did Maui once a year for 10 years straight until the fires. We looked into going back recently, but the prices have gotten insane for everything. What used to be a 5k trip for 5 nights is now almost double. We are done with Hawaii for now. I expect that eventually they will price themselves out of the average family going and it will only be the elites.
All the taxes paid by both visitors and owners of vacation rentals are becoming obscenely high. And now I hear that the mayor of Maui will take home a salary higher than the governor’s. Does he deserve this as he was “missing in action” during the Lahaina wildfire disaster and has caused chaos in Maui’s tourism industry by proposing to eliminate 7,000 short term vacation rentals? What a mess.
“Sooner or later you run out of other people’s money”…
Margaret Thatcher
There are hundreds of beautiful places and islands to travel to throughout the world that will appreciate your travel dollars. The taxes and resort fees in Hawaii are ridiculous, and rising allnof the time. You could go to the Carribean for half the price of Hawaii.
My “ex” tried to convince me that there are other places like Hawaii (after I fell in love with Hawaii in 1989), so we went to Florida, Cancun, Acapulco, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Bermuda, Bahamas …I might miss a few, but it ended up with me buying a sign that said “You go your way, I’ll go to Maui” and I am very happy living here. That said, people have a choice and I am glad they do. Hawaii is not for everyone, especially not for those who compare Hawaii to those destinations. They are missing the point.
People have to have the will to boycott their Hawaiian vacations and let Governor Green choke on his, “They will still come”. We come as visitors that love the islands, not as open wallets to add to your frivolous spending habits.
Looks like the incompetents that run Hawaii are working overtime to catch up to Calif. No need to repeat in detail what has already been said. They have met their objective as we will never return.
The true spirit of Aloha is not a cash grab. Hawaii is beautiful and should be shared. My wife and I came here for our honeymoon, and are here again for our 10th wedding anniversary. We have visited Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island thus far. Ironically we live in California, and it is safe to say that the same terrible government poisons your great state. As visitors we come in friendship and respect, as hosts you need to meet us in gratitude and grace. Mahalo.