Issues are who pays for search and rescue plus uniformity of Hawaii Safe Travels for all islands.
25 thoughts on “Two Bills That Will Directly Impact Hawaii Visitors”
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Issues are who pays for search and rescue plus uniformity of Hawaii Safe Travels for all islands.
Comments are closed.
It makes total sense for individuals that disregard signage of either no trespassing or warning of dangerous situations to be held responsible for situations they create and need rescuing from. Bravo!
Also think the state SHOULD have uniform restrictions for travel – it’s confusing enough without one county doing their own thing.
Regarding HB 1286: My concern with this bill is that given the risk (real or perceived) Kauai is going to argue the unified travel policy would have to conform to the most restrictive. Where Maui will argue on the opposite side.
We want nothing more than to have Hawaii be less restrictive. We want to come and patronize the islands and contribute to the economy! But, I also understand the issue of hospital capacity, etc. For this to work, the restrictions cannot be more than what Maui has already–it is difficult enough to understand and to adhere to the rules. Anything more means the islands are effectively closed to visitors (Kauai is an example).
While I love the idea of having a unified approach to travel restrictions, I am concerned if this passes, it will go more towards the Kauai side of the argument, than the Maui side. I think everyone is assuming what Hawaii government will pass will be less restrictive…I am not sure this is the case.
Here’s to hoping! Mahalo!
Aloha Guys-
Any best guess at the earliest 1286 could become law?
thanks
Hi Jon.
We asked Saiki’s office that question and they indicated that they have no idea.
Aloha.
Holding people responsible for their own stupidity! What a concept, now we need work on the Hawaiian government. IE: governor and all of his cabinet.
Agree!
Thanks
Thank you for your website! I am one of the many mainlanders following HB 1286 and trying to decide if I should switch our Kauai trip on May 31 to Maui instead. On a Feb 18 phone interview, Kauai Mayor Kawakami said that Kauai will not adopt the Safe Travels program until mid-May to late-May based on the island’s vaccination schedule. Knowing how slowly everything has moved over the last year and the threat of variant strains, I am not overly optimistic plus I assume it will take the tourism industry some weeks/months to reopen. We are booked with the Grand Hyatt Kauai and it doesn’t seem like they will be joining the resort bubble program any time soon so it really depends on the Safe Travels program adoption to reopen. At this point, I feel like I’ve been planning this once in a lifetime vacation for 18 months and have had it cancelled 3 times over the past year. I am thinking it’s probably safer at this point to go with Maui? We could also try to do Oahu first and then get tested after 3 days then travel to Kauai, but for a family of 5 that seems quite expensive, disruptive and risky should anyone test positive after being on Oahu. Any advice?
Hi AT.
While we’d like to think that things will resolve here at least to some degree by May 31, we concur with your thinking. It would probably be safest to plan for a Maui vacation instead.
Aloha.
Arizona has a similar legislation aimed at motorists who need to be rescued if they drive around signs/barricades posted “Do not enter when flooded.” The law is affectionately called the Stupid Motorist Law. (Not sure if it is strictly enforced) but it is on the books and people can be charged for their rescue if stranded. Many people do not realize Arizona is prone to flash flooding at certain times of the year. The soil is sandy and rocky in many areas and only so much rain can be absorbed at a time.
Need the bubble resorts to go away. So unfair. Noone is safe in a so called bubble. I called several just for my own information. Workers go home nightly to their families and lives. That is not keeping anyone safe in a bubble. Also you can use pools, hot tubs, health clubs ect. That is not a bubble. Constantly néw tourists are arriving. Heck. They can even eat at restaurants on the property and socialize with guests. This is obscene and should be prohibited. People would be safer at their own rentals. Or homes. Isolated for 3 days. Then retest and be on their own. Bout time someone needs to put the mayor in his place. He is not the law. He is destroying kauai.
It’s just a “classy” way to gouge you even more. Cancel your trip there and go somewhere else for half the price (and a lot less stress)!
Thanks for the update on uniform Safe Travel legislation. Should it pass the legislature, any thoughts as to how the Governor would act upon it? He seems very non committal on tourism resumption from what we’ve seen to date but wondering what someone more familiar with the situation thinks.
Hi Craig.
No, we don’t know what the governor would do. He isn’t clear about that.
Aloha.
Wow! Holding people responsible for their own stupidity! What a concept that should have happened years ago. And having one county in a state operating outside the rules that every other county is operating under was just plain wrong from the first beginning but somehow, someway, the governor thought that was OK.