Families arriving in Hawaii now face surprise charges, timed entries, and resident-only perks. Some call it fairness, others say it feels like being shut out.
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396 thoughts on “Visitors Say Hawaii’s New Fees Cross The Line”
If all of the people on this forum who say they aren’t coming back, do exactly that, it will help alleviate overcrowding. We are Not suffering from a lack of tourists. We have too many, and if our number are down 10-12%, great!
Prices are higher everywhere. It’s called inflation, and locals suffer more than tourists. We pay these higher prices every day, not just while on a vacation.
Come to Hawaii or try somewhere else. The whole world is getting tired of overtourism. If you don’t come here, someone else will.
I am tired of hearing of Hawaiin’s complain. I think they should remove themselves from the United States and be their own entity. I am all for and it is very important to take care of nature whether you live on Hawaii, or visit it, just like all the other 49 states. Again, I am tired of them complaining. They can be their own entity, then decide how many and what times of year people can visit. Maybe all the islands should become like the island Niʻihau
Tom H.
Ironic that you are “tired of them complaining”, yet that is exactly what you are doing. Polls have shown that most Hawaii residents, including native Hawaiians, have no desire to separate from the U.S. Most mainland Americans don’t want Hawaii to leave either. Using Tahiti, and the Maldives as examples, hotel prices would likely rise to between $2,000 and $3,000 per night. Would that encourage you to visit? (Be sure to bring your passport, Intl. driver’s license, and change money.)
Complaints are voiced by a loud vocal minority. Either way, the U.S. is not going to relinquish control of Hawaii since Pearl Harbor, and the other military bases, are key to controlling the Pacific. Sorry!
I personally have no issue with Hawaii becoming its own country—not a territory, but a sovereign nation with its own governance. Either way, I will still own it and continue to do what I have done for 25 years. It would be better not to have those bailouts, subsidies, and marriages, which would increase as, instead of collecting on babies from the federal government, they would be less dependent on states or the federal government. It would likely be much better for me, as my costs would decrease significantly. That state can’t find their pants in the morning, and nothing is better than having them be organized enough to pull together a new country. I always say you want your country back. Take it back, I do not care. Nothing will change for me.
Reading some great responses, As a property owner for the past 25 years, running a legal short-term vacation rental I have seen constant increases in taxes and creation of new taxes. However, nothing changes except the overall quality of life for not locals, but for the native locals. I have seen tremendous transplants because of the Aloha spirit, but they never truly assimilate; instead, they are often the first to frown and, at times, vocalize their distaste for tourists. If anything, the transplants have done the most tremendous disservice to the native Hawaiians. Taking their jobs, buying up homes, and driving up home costs. But it’s not all their fault; greedy city, county, and state support that path without restrictions. Our roads take forever to repair, Sewage continues to overflow into our waters, crime increases, and developers with the most influence and money continue to wipe out skylines that were once lined with coconut palms. Native land continues to be sold.
This entry coming from someone who “bought up” a home to make money on from tourists and others.
You see? Everyone is trying to make a buck. It just depends on perspective.
We can’t call people greedy just because they want to make money, and many are doing that in different ways-like yourself.
Your claim about the transplants causing the most harm is unfounded.
I attended university, was stationed there, and visited (Oahu, Big Island, Maui) several times over the past 20 years and the “harm” that you speak of is coming from everyone. It’s truly not fair to primarily blame those that choose to become new residents of the state.
We’ve just arrived today, we are from England and it’s our 5th time here, so obviously we love Hawaii But wow, we’ve been shocked at the prices here now.
We have already said that this will be our last time here. It’s a big world and there are so many options to choose from especially in Europe, Asia the Middle East, all of the a lot closer to get to for us.
Hawai’i has some of the highest state taxes in the nation and it matters greatly whether you are a full time or part time resident, especially if you have off island income. Living costs are also extreme, and getting even higher. (e.g., another Young Brother’s rate hike is in the making.) So I think this is a tiny bit of relief for locals.
For comparison, in Kyoto city, our neighborhoods are responding to unprecendented overtourism numbers by closing off entire streets, threatening Y10,000 if you enter. Even as a resident, I am not sure if I can enter without triggering someone to get mad at me. Our new mayor won the election by promoting separate bus pricing for tourists. And a few restaurants and a hair dressing shop in my neighborhood have signs out banning all tourists from entering. In Hawai’i you can still enter places without having to worry if someone will resent you. Not so, here.
There has to be a balance. We are long time timeshare owners and enjoy our time on Kauai each visit. We support the local businesses and respect those who live there. We pay property taxes, occupancy taxes and the like and realize this is a cost of enjoying Paradise. Living on and visiting the Islands is more expensive and everyone should realize that. From my perspective it seems like there are just too many people at one time causing congestion throughout the Islands. Not sure how you resolve this and then of course restricting tourism also affects employment, state revenues, etc.
This article has drawn so many comments that I can’t find the ones I want to reply to, even after receiving an email and a link/doing a text search. I wonder if additional comments are actually posting.
@Lena S (and a few others): the kind of locals only discounts you are talking about are all offered by private companies. In Hawai’i, they call those kama’aina discounts. I don’t see an issue with those. However, discounts and special treatment offered by governmental agencies (which is the real subject of this article) are very different and more controversial. They could fall under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which applies to governments, not private enterprise.
I just looked at Hawaii Daily Tourist arrivals.
Since May total daily arrival numbers have been trending downward by almost 2,000 to 4,000 tourist a day over same period 2024.
Maybe Hawaii has finally hit a pricing tipping point it will be interesting to watch how it goes in the next 3 months to the end of the year.
Wow over 300 comments. Article definitely hit a nerve. We own a condo on Maui and spend 6 months of every year on Maui. We buy local, eat at local restaurants/food trucks and general love coming there. The only anger we experience is voiced by the store owners, restaurant workers, housekeepers, etc who are worried about having to close or lose their jobs if tourism continues to decline. Hotels just close rooms and raise prices. Those who took care of people in those closed rooms simple get layed off. These people are worried about their jobs and all they hear from government officials is they can find other jobs. Where? That’s the anger we hear about when we’re there. They could care less about full parking lots.
The 7,000 STRs proposed to be eliminated on Maui will further erode the revenue base for Maui. You can’t raise money from tourists through fees if they aren’t there
Well said,
By the County’s own position, they could build a few small community’s with 800 square foot prefabricated houses and solve their housing problem. Most could be put in the Lahaina area because that’s where the locals had their homes destroyed.
The building codes may be too restrictive but, that’s on the County. Remember they required the fire hydrants in Lahaina then, didn’t supply the water.
I love Hawaii. I have been to a hundred other tropical paradises on this planet, and Hawaii is the best. The people there are Ohana. Hawaii has modern infrastructure with beautiful hotels, roads and resources. They speak English, drive on the correct side of the road, and the exchange rate is one to one. All that and more. However, and here is the big however, the minute I feel unwelcome, or like a burden, I can always go to one of the planet’s many, many other tropical paradises. The Philippines are lovely. Tahiti is as easy to reach from LA as Hawaii. There are hundreds of other choices. Please Hawaii, don’t drive us tourists away. You are Ohana, and I would rather give my hard earned vacation dollars to you.
I come from a mainland community that issued (paid) beach passes for residents only, so am accustomed and sympathetic to the notion of preferential access and understand its purpose, especially in a tourist-heavy environment. I’m currently planning a trip to Hawaii and am a bit dismayed by how regimented the reservation system is making it. I’m on a couple of Facebook forums and keep learning about new experiences I’ll have to lock in weeks before arriving. In addition to cost, it takes a lot of time. I suppose things will have to just play out, but I do think there will be a shift towards higher spending and all-inclusive resort visitors.
“Many *countries* employ this. They charge residents one fee and nonresidents a higher fee. …”
I hate to break it to that person, but Hawaii is a US state, not a different country. If I drive across the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington, I don’t get charged extra for a hotel.
I think you can expect lawsuits at some point.
I am confused by the offense taken here. Different rates for residents/locals is common: look at any Vegas hotel and there are “locals only” deals (just as there are special deals for military, AAA, erc.); any ski resort whether in Colorado or east coast that I have ever been to has a special lift rate for “locals only”. This is very common practice and I don’t understand the problem with it. I don’t live in a touristy place and don’t get any “locals only” discounts anywhere.
I agree 100% with Lena S – everywhere we go in the U.S., residents of that state or city often have discounted fees for any number of experiences for residents. It’s not meant to keep others away; it’s an effort to take care of the residents, and an incentive to residents. Sometimes restaurants allow kids under 12 to eat free — are you going to complain that’s unfair to you because you’re an adult? Resident discounts are no different. I can’t check a book out of any library – I have to show proof of residency to get a library card. Is that unfair to someone who isn’t a resident? No. This is just how life works.
Again, discounts offered by private individuals/companies are not really the issue (or the subject of this article). There is a potential constitutional issue here, concerning the 14th Amendment, which has an equal protection clause. That means that units of government are not allowed to discriminate against citizens but it doesn’t apply to private companies. The public beaches and parking areas, etc., are all units of government. That is what is controversial and concerning to some.
What about state universities that charge different tuition for residents vs not?
That’s a fair point, @Lena S. I hadn’t thought of that one. It is certainly a well-established practice. So far, it has stood up to scrutiny but it’s hard to know if it would survive a constitutional challenge based on the 14th Amendment. I don’t know if there is any prior court precedent about this or if it has ever been challenged. Even if there is precedent, though, the Supreme Court has shown little respect for some precedents.
Your talking discounts not add ons. And your also referring to private casinos not state or local governments!
The problem is not whether visitors should pay or not, but the economy of the Hawaiian Islands has been dependent on tourism. The amount of money that comes from STR zones that pay a premium in property tax, visitors have to pay TAT, GET and county tax, visitors support the majority of small business. The issue has always been clear- where has all that money gone? It completely gets mismanaged, always a money grab, county, state keeps getting bigger, and the local level nothing ever gets done. Homelessness gets worse, fires rip through the landscape, and there is an increase in crime. At the end of the day, visitors have always done their part.
Overtourism is a problem faced by destinations all over the world. Like many, many destinations the volume of visitors exceeds the capacity of the infrastructure. The measures being taken in Hawaii are not unique to Hawaii as destinations struggle to maintain the quality of the visitor experience and as welk as maintaining the quality of life for local residents.
1. Timed entries and tourist pass that can be purchases through an app.
2. Reduce the number of rental cars allowed on each island and increase public transportation to tourist sites.
3. Only permanent residents of Hawaii should be allowed to purchase property. No corporate investors or investment properties.
4. A short educational video during the flight to the islands about the Hawaiian culture and the dos and don’ts of visiting the islands.
The answer is simple. Many will simply stop going and the tourism dollars will go elsewhere. This is classic have your cake and eat it too. Only without tourist dollars there is no cake!
“Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded”, LOL!
Half of the respondents aren’t coming back because of the new tax (less than 1%).
The other half aren’t coming back because there are too many people. SMH!
Prices have gone up all over the world. Why would Hawaii be any different? Everything must be shipped here which increases the cost even more.
If you don’t come here, someone else will, while you visit other countries.
I live here and we’ve cut way back on restaurant meals. That is where I see the biggest increases. We used to go to a Mexican Restaurant down the street where happy hour offered two tacos, rice and beans for $6.00. It now has a new owner, and the same meal is $27.00. Yeah, negatory!
When people travel no matter what their destination is, forget to respect the local population.
Treat people the way that you wish to be treated.
Enjoy your next vacation wherever you may travel. I never forget the golden rule. Love goes a long way.
Time to leave Hawaii alone. It a beautiful place, but it’s not the only tropical vacation available. Punta Cana is beautiful, Puerto Rico, many other Caribbean islands. They want the islands to themselves let them have it. Once that visitor cash dries up, they’ll be offering discounts for people to come back.
What if the roles are reversed?
Higher fees for Hawaiians visiting Las Vegas’s or California etc. Oh, the outcry…
What if tourism reduced significantly? What if Hawaiian jobs are put in jeopardy? Remember the law of unintended consequences.
It would be nice if people would understand that
This is the case! All Vegas hotels I’ve seen have “locals only” deals. Most ski resorts I’ve been to (Colorado, east coast, etc.) have discounted lift tickets for locals.
Our biggest complaint is the rapid and huge increase in condo rental fees. There has to be limits.
I like your suggestions regarding bundling and visible improvements. Some beaches in Maui have disgusting or non-existent facilities. Very disrespectful.
I have had several rentals (STR) for 25 years—all in resorts with 180-degree ocean views. My rates are the lowest they have been in years. They are the same, if not lower than, pre-COVID rates. I just wonder if people just do not know where or how to look. My cost has gone up substantially but I still try never to pass that one if I can help it.
Stop the rental car companies from renting 4wd vehicles that are destroying our back roads and remote areas!
We have family that live on Oahu and have visited Oahu, Kauai and Maui 5 times total over the last 10 or so years. We’ve loved every trip and really appreciate the culture, history and Native Hawaiian perspective. However, there has been a shift in attitude towards mainlanders and tourists. Comments from Hawaii’s Tourism Director, increasing costs directed specifically at tourists, and other things make me feel like tourists aren’t really wanted. As much as we would love to return, it’s getting less and less appealing to do so. Sad to think we may have visited for the last time.
There has been a major shift in attitude ever since COVID. It had a profound effect on everyone, and people here who used to be very friendly have become more reserved, even towards fellow islanders. The Lahaina fire compounded that effect with so many of us losing friends and family to the mainland.
I believe people will return to their formerly friendly ways within a few years, after they are back in the replacement homes that are being built now.
my wife and I have come to Maui 8 times from 2006 to 2019. know with all that is going on we may not have the resources to return. rentals up over 100 percent. and that’s just the start.
As a long time and frequent visitor to the islands (mainly Oahu), my travels are less affected by the increased fees and availability as we typically don’t visit highly touristed areas. My concern, however is said fees fees and reduction in visitors are going to decimate the local economies. This hurts native hawaiians, small business owners, services and upkeep that are essential for residents and tourists alike. I think the idea of well-planned and executed resident only times for certain attractions are a great idea, along with a state wide parking permit that can be purchased ahead of time as opposed to individual location fees. A balance must be found or many residents will suffer as the economy dwindle.
I stopped reading…this whole thing just makes me sad…why would I choose Hawaii after reading just part of this?
Vacationers, there are 700 Bahamian islands; magical places like the Seychelles; or step into the land before time and visit Tahiti…all of these places are waiting to welcome you! Why go somewhere that clearly doesn’t want you or your children? I know I’ll likely never go back to Hawaii after hearing how much they value tourism. And fyi; I’ve lived in San Diego for 18 years…I know tourism.
Bahamas are under a Level 2 State Dept. Advisory because of rapes, murders, and other violence. Would you really prefer that to Hawaii, just because a small subset of the population is rude? Other places you mention require long flights and passports to visit. Same with Mexico.
AI Overview
Violence in The Bahamas includes armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults, with gang violence being a significant factor, particularly in Nassau and Freeport. Visitors should exercise increased caution, be aware of their surroundings, avoid “Over the Hill” in Nassau, and stay vigilant in non-tourist areas, especially after dark. The U.S. Department of State and other governments issue travel advisories to help travelers navigate potential risks.
I simply meant there are other options, other islands, other experiences. Gheesh…relax; it’s just a discussion about vacation…
Great! Go there instead!
For me, I always loved Hawaii because I could travel solo and still feel safe. I was still technically in the states while still having a tropical vacation. The idea of traveling solo outside the country makes me a bit nervous. But if I’m no longer wanted it may be time to put on the big girl panties and give it a try!
It’s not that locals don’t want tourists, it’s just that Hawaii’s natural resources and infrastructure cannot withstand such a high level of tourism.
…And I thought Hawaii was trying to bring back visitors after the huge decline post-COVID? I think I will go to Canada with my family instead. Btw: Don’t compare Hawaii to foreign countries. It is part of USA, last I heard. Even California and NY don’t charge all this extortion for visitors.
Yes, come to Canada! The west coast is beautiful, lots of hiking, beautiful mountains, clean lakes and city life. There are very few attractions where locals pay less, unless your buying a seasons pass, I think its quite faIr for tourists. Sometimes I wonder why we don’t play tourist in our own cities more!
I already live in the Pacific Northwest. British Columbia doesn’t exactly offer Hawaii’s climate. Vancouver is a cool city, but it doesn’t offer a ton that you can’t find in Portland or Seattle.
Those of you requesting a line-by-line justification for all these new fees, you are asking for something that cannot be done.
All you have to do is go to the website and do your research. Yes, Hawaii is getting expensive but it’s getting expensive everywhere and with the sea levels rising over the next 20 to 30 years, Hawaii (notably Waikiki) is effectively looking ahead and realizing that there is a lot of infrastructure change and retro-fitting that needs to be done which is going to get into the billions of dollars.
All this to save Hawaii and allow for the tourism to continue. Granted, not everybody is going to be able to afford all these new fees, but that’s the other fork that needs to be addressed: “over tourism” it’s being handled I think in the best way possible for everybody.
It’s not that Hawaii is getting expensive generally, it’s the differential pricing for US citizens who live in Hawaii vs US citizens who don’t, that causes consternation. You don’t have a situation like this in any other US state — you know, perhaps it should be reciprocal; maybe it’s time for special fees and higher rates for residents of Hawaii when they visit Los Angeles, or San Francisco, Las Vegas, or Portland and Seattle.
You absolutely do have this other places! Vegas has many locals only deals as well as ski resorts all over the country.
What are you even talking about. Nearly every tourist destination America offers special discounts for locals.
How about if visitors just quit going for a few years? They can spend their money on the mainland. See how things fair then.
Your suggestions seem a reasonable start, without knowing all of the considerations. I think any place that receives Federal funding or tax breaks incl FEMA needs to be more inclusive as mainline taxes help fund. It’s already too much $$ for me as a middle class person. I also think there’s still an elephant in the room to address re: the history of Hawaii, how it became a state, and the continuing deep resentment regarding big business intervention, the illegal overthrow of its monarchy by the US, stealing their land and the trampling of its culture to benefit commercial activities leading to annexation (military purposes, by resolution, not treaty, despite massive Native opposition) then statehood. The full history is sordid, though less bloody than what happened to Native Americans, but the Native Hawaiians were robbed of their rights to self-determination, that even the statehood vote didn’t give true choice, esp. since by then Native Hawaiians were the minority
We just returned from our annual 10-day trip to Maui. Wow, is all I can say about the price of everything. The fees/taxes at our resort were about $200.00 higher than last year. We usually book a trip in January or February as a quick getaway, but when you go to rent a VRBO and the fees are almost as much as the nightly rate, it’s no longer feasible. Even at our beloved resort, the fees in 2026 will be higher.
Since tourism is the only real industry that locals rely on, I can’t see how raising prices will help – it’s going to hurt in the long run if people stop visiting. ‘
The government of Hawaii is notoriously corrupt, and without transparency as to where all the extra fees are going, we will not be spending our money in Hawaii. All this climate stuff is just code for we can screw over tourists to fund the corruption. I hope that one day, the people who live and work in Hawaii will open their eyes to all the deceit going on in the government.
Hawaii residents should ask themselves about the quality of their lives without tourism. Exactly What products/services does Hawaii produce for themselves? Instead of resenting tourists (and therefore tourism $$$), they should be grateful people still want to visit and spend their vacation $$$ in Hawaii. Without tourism, I suspect what Hawaii residents would experience is Poverty.
Hawaii is getting to be like Disneyland! I love Disneyland but won’t return because of the uncontrolled crowds and costs! Last time on Kauai, I felt the same. Every site or turnout, there were lines and charges!
We visited twice from Canada before the extra fees. I’m grateful we had that opportunity to visit your beautiful islands. We tried to be respectful and learn. We would never want to create a negative impact. I think we’d be happy to pay some additional fees as non-residents if it helped residents in any way and helped to conserve the land and resources. There are other places like Machu Picchu and Iceland that are setting protective restrictions and I’m sure there’s many others. Ultimately if we never get to see those places because of that, I’d rather know they can still exist and thrive. We are not wealthy people, but trying to experience as much of the world as we can while doing our best to be respectful along the way. I think some of the suggested tweaks sound like plausible options to make improvements. Thank you for this information!
My husband was stationed in HI from 83 – 87. The non natives living there had taken over leaving very few undamaged uncommercilzed areas. Haunama Bay, & Diamond Head, Waimea Falls and other locations were swamped with unruly & often disrespectful visitors, many dropped off by the bus load, locals walked in on foot.
Each state has it’s own city, county, and state parks and businesses with reduced rates for locals. HI should be able to protect their treasures as well. Perhaps, one on-line location to book all Island excursions while on vacation would simplify the matter. I personally prefer to have a scheduled itinerary with some flexibility in case of inclement weather.
While it does make it harder for our family to visit when the fees are constantly increasing, I am not in opposition of them if it truly helps the local communities. What Kauai provides to me is priceless. I experience so much soul level healing when there. Not just once but every time I have travelled there. I have been going annually for the last 5 years. I just booked my trip for this year. This time we are going to Kona and Kauai as we have friends that live on Kona. Yes, I could have gone to Europe or somewhere in the Caribbean for less. My first choice will always be Kauai because I love the land, the ocean, and the people. If I could afford to live there full time I would. With love and gratitude.
The United States Constitution guarantees the right for all citizens to travel between States without any tax. California used to tax people coming into California but it was over ruled by Supreme Court. Fees to non-residents are taxes which are in violation of the Constitution. Everyone pay or nobody pays.
Except Hawaii isn’t taxing visitors to enter the state, only to visit certain attractions. Avoid those certain attractions that charge entry fees and parking and you won’t have to pay anything extra. Hawaii residents already pay taxes. Should residents pay increased taxes to maintain bathrooms and repair trails that are usually packed with tourists that most residents never get the chance to use? Why can’t that cost be shared by the thousands of people who use them?
I’ll say it again, it won’t be me after reading about how much Hawaii values tourism…
assume you would be ok if Vegas starting charging Hawaii residents – and only Hawaii residents – to enter every casino?
Sounds like main land USA needs to add more fees for oil, gas. food supplies to Hawaii residents.
Remove the military bases and let Hawaii fend for themselves
I have friends who live on the big island. It’s sad that I can’t afford to go twice a year like I used too. I’m lucky if I can go once a year now. I haven’t been there since 2023. I just can’t afford it.