Mayor asserts that Maui tourists will transition to hotels, a claim met with skepticism by residents and visitors alike who say such changes will drive visitors away from the island entirely. Ongoing debate highlighted in latest new, impactful report.
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Bissen’ assertion that tourists will simply shift to hotels is both an irresponsible and uneducated comment. Elections are coming. Remember him when you file for unemployment and are voting. Elections have consequences and he is a big one. He wont listen to professionals that warned him.
The short term vacation rental industry had infinite opportunity to regulate itself. It never did and never will. The industry is just strip mining the islands.
This is so true. Not everyone wants to stay at a stuffie over priced high rise hotel. The tourist will find other destinations other than Maui.
Once that happens Maui will suffer and it will be a long way back.
We are come to Hawaii once a year ourselves from CO for about a week. We have no plans to return if STRs are phased out. We have no interest in staying in a hotel. We would prefer to enjoy the islands like a local ourselves.
Vacationing to Hawaii this coming February.
Was originally planning a 3 week, 3 island trip.
With all the anti tourist sentiment on Maui, it will now be a two island trip to Hawaii/Kauai
Residents of Hawaii/Kauai hate short term vacation rentals as much as Maui folks do.
What planet does the governor live on? As one of those much maligned tourists who has visited Maui yearly since 1992 and stayed in various STR ‘s, I can’t recall a single rental that would be suitable long term family accommodation. STRs are intended to be short term housing and designed accordingly. The sentiment that we will go to an overpriced hotel is laughable. Tourist dollars are portable-we are simply going elsewhere. Maui is off the list. While there is a desperate need for housing those affected by the fire, giving the economy a kick in the gut to the tune of several billion to accomplish this goal is proof that politicians should not make business decisions.
It’s not the governor. It’s the mayor of Maui.
The governor started the whole mess, then he passed the buck to the mayor
Both are very irresponsible and very naive ,remember that when you vote
Who wins who loses The losers STR owners ,property managers ,store owners,restaurants, car rentals etc The winners The hotels and the politicians who are in the pockets of the hotels Most STRs are one or two bedroom units hardly an everyday home ,but direct competition to the hotels mmm
As a long time owner on the Big Island, I was thinking about just what my condo generates for the economy.
We live off Island so a property manager is required. So the company I and countless others employ had to have a staff to administer the use of the property. Cleaning personal to keep the unit clean. Handyman to fix periodic issues. And of course, the association of owners who employ people to clean, do gardening, and hire a resident manager to oversee all.
All this employs at a minimum 25 or more people! Just sayin…
And they could work other jobs and pay less for housing if you and people like you stopped renting out residential homes as hotels.
Wait, what?
What other jobs will you run to in a vacation destination?
And what residential homes here are being turned into hotels?
The STRs we are talking about have Always been STRs. They have Never been “residential homes”. This isn’t the same as other communities in the country who have an Actual STR issue in their neighborhoods, not a made-up STR issue like the one they’ve concocted here.
Please explain.
The is a shortage of Bus drivers,County workers,Teachers,Police,Nurses,Plumbers,Retsil clerks , in the community and I think these are the jobs he is referring to
Ah, ok. It’s too bad that those jobs either aren’t interchangeable or they don’t pay as well or are not as steady as the jobs that Robert mentions.
It’s too bad you only think of Hawaii as a vacation destination. People actually live here.
Price of houses will not go down and be affordable. Workers need up there wage by increasing their skill in trades or college.
Affordable housing means someone builds a house and rents at a reduced rate than market rate. What worker voulterrs to work for less? Same as home owner renting for less.
Are they doing this because the people who lost homes had no insurance to rebuild?
What jobs??
With politicians, they seldom seem to have a yes plan, just a no plan. Easy to say no, but what is the plan to fix the hole in the economy when banning activity which provides needed tax/biz revenue? Back of napkin math that politicians rarely seem to do. 7,000 STRs, x 5 day average stay, x $4,000 per stay x 40 stays per year. 5.6BN in economic benefit to the Island. With a tax take rate of assumed %20, likely low, that’s a at least a billion in taxes. Sure some will still visit and stay in hotels, which are already annually averaging 60% to 70% occupancy, can only absorb a fraction of the demand. Lets say Maui loses only 1BN of tax revenue. 1/8th of what it collects. What is the plan there guvment? And.. Will 1mm condos now be converted to locals housing? LOL..