Rising costs and growing competition shock Hawaii into reconsidering how to balance tourism. With fewer visitors but higher spending in focus, stakeholders are questioning the state’s direction. Can Hawaii sustain its top industry while embracing a ‘less is more’ approach?”
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I read the article. I own a house in Pahoa, HI (2016) and Salt Lake City, UT (1995).
For 30 Yrs I’ve watched SLC grow and the tourist industry encourages more visitors. It is ruining UTAH. More crowded and more expensive for locals. Snow skiing is as much as $350 a day. Hawaii is suffocating on success. Greed drives the engine. Developers selling their product to visitors. The locals foot the bill for infrastructure, traffic and quality of life trade offs. The rich needn’t get richer.
Using tourism fees/taxes to “combat” Climate Change in HI is a fool’s errand. You could burn all of the islands to the ground and not equal the output of China and India for a day. Maybe concentrate on illegal dumping, abandoned cars, and homeless camps?.
When will people finally say enough is enough. And not go to a place that only wants your opened wallet
Although Hawaii was/is beautiful or at least was, the bloom is off the rose. There are other beautiful beaches to visit where tourists are welcomed and are not treated like second class citizens.
I have been over 35 times and this last trip Dec’24 was the first time ever I was counting down the days to my departure rather than being depressed about leaving. It’s sad what has become of what was once a paradise
The upside of competition for tourist is resort packages offered by Costco Travel for Maui have come down considerable in price and are loaded with perks.
Overall room rates on these limited time deals are down by as much as 25 percent and they’re loaded with perks, most I’ve ever seen.
I’ve got a trip booked for Grand Wailea that has over $3,000.00 worth of perks for a 1 week stay. I’m like this can’t be right.
We did a Costco vacation package to the Big Island in 2018. Best vacation ever!
Richard, I agree perks and package deals can indeed be a great bargain. However, if I charge you $15 per night for parking in 2020, $50 night in 2025 but then offer a perk or package at only $35 a night, are you really getting that big a bargain?
Money saved in 2025 is still good, just don’t want people to lose perspective of the past few years of highway robbery price increases that today’s bargains are being based off of.
I think that the State has placed tourism as a highly focused discussion for far too long, as the State has placed this as the main topic of importance while neglecting other pressing matters in the islands.
Sure, we all agree with the previous CEO by thinking less people is better. It is better environmentally and socially.
Sure, the reputation of the islands is disintegrating as many who come to visit decide to stay. This aspect continues to displace the people who make Hawai’i, Hawai’i and changes the culture of the islands from what the world loves and adores into what the world despises.
If Hawai’i creates an additional source of economic income alongside with tourism, the tourism industry can be saved and always worked upon.
Tourists would still continue to come and deal with the issues of Hawai’i while on their vacations if costs are reasonable for them to do so. By making the islands a playground for the wealthy, dedicated Hawai’i tourists will not come back.
Yearly visitors since the early 80s. We have stay at all the major islands at one time or another. Until the fire west Maui was our favorite since we have focused on Oahu. We are retired military and that keeps Hawaii within our budget but even the Hale Koa is getting expensive. We love Hawaii and will continue to come but not as often. May try the Tahiti Cook Islands trip next year.
Just bought new car here in Oregon young man helping us said he is from Oahu and several of his family work at the dealership to include is father. Father said they could not afford Hawaii anymore.
I am betting the rebuild of L.A. will be mostly complete before Lahina gets rebuilt. Send these politicians packing.
This is Not surprising. The Governor’s brief mention of tourism was related to how the government could get more Fees (taxes) from tourists. For most of Hawaii’s politicians, tourism is all about milking the tourist for a money grab. Plus, the comments from the past CEO of Hawaii Tourism Authority are blatant. Hawaii wants Less tourists but will charge more $$$ for hotels, etc. Thus, Hawaii has become a playground for the super wealthy. This philosophy will trickle down to local business who will see Less revenue with fewer tourists buying their products.
We have owned timeshares (yes, plural) in Maui since 2007. We travel from Canada to Maui 2-3 times/year. It’s not cheap for us Canucks but we absolutely love our timeshares that are right on the Kaanapali beach. The county and state taxes have more than doubled, and the annual maintenance dues have nearly doubled. The Maui county council continually hits timeshare owners with additional taxes.
Our timeshares are fully deeded giving us real property ownership, yet we don’t get to vote in the municipal or state elections. Me thinks that all timeshare owners with deeded properties should get a vote in who runs for county or state office. One way to help get some of those dirty dogs out of office.
We visit Hawaii every Dec for the Pearl Harbor ceremonies. If it weren’t for our dedication to honor the lives that were lost there, I’d nix going anymore. I absolutely love Hawaii but it is getting ridiculous. The Hilton charges 70 bucks a night to self park now. Are you kidding me?? If they only want high rollers to visit, they’re only going to eat at high end restaurants. All the wonderful mom and pop places will cease to exist and they’re going to ruin the livelihood of a lot of locals. Green is a money hungry leech that needs to stop thinking about lining his pockets and start thinking about Hawaii’s people…..
Aloha,
Seventy dollars a night to self park? That’s a nice touch. I quit the Hilton about 6 years ago when they wanted fifteen dollars a day for internet in San Diego. Nice try, next stop is the JW…
Mahalo
We visited the Big Island in May 2018. We were lucky to find a quiet, peaceful condo looking out to the Waikola valley. The view was so relaxing, I could’ve stayed there for an eternity drinking my morning coffee. It was an incredible vacation. I’m sad to see that overtourism is casting such a negative impact on the islands. We had thought of visiting Maui sometime in the future. But with all the nasty headlines about entitled tourists and locals’ equally negative reactions, I’d rather not be associated with any of it.
Am I the only one who noticed or cares that Green’s priority from all these proposed extra fees is something vaguely known as a “climate change fund?” What exactly is that? How are funds allocated? To friends? Relatives? Business allies? Big donors? With all of the problems Hawaii has, climate change isn’t even in the Top Ten. And even if it were, how does Green plan to solve it? Hawaii is an insignificant speck compared to the world’s great polluters, so I think Green needs to worry less about the world and more about where he lives. Locals always talk about the high costs of groceries, lack of affordable housing, spiraling homelessness and crime, low wages requiring most people to have 2 jobs to make ends meet — and Green’s focus to more money for climate change. Um, OK. Talk about the complete inability to read a room! And yet the people of Hawaii keep re-electing these same clowns every time they’re given a choice, so this must be what the majority wants.