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Friday, January 2, 2026
9th Circuit Halts Hawaii Green Fee Tax on Cruise Lines
By Andrew Walden @ 12:42 AM :: 1695 Views :: Jones Act, Judiciary, Taxes, Tourism

... While the AG was counting her chickens, barristers worked through the holidays to bring the preliminary injunction appeal to justice ....

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Visitor Spending Increased in November 2025 Despite Fewer Visitor Arrivals
By News Release @ 9:57 PM :: 500 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... 3.6 percent decrease in total arrivals to 736,831 visitors ....

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Monday, December 29, 2025
Class Action Suit Filed Against Maui Bill 9
By Andrew Walden @ 2:55 PM :: 4147 Views :: Maui County, Land Use, Tourism

... A second lawsuit has been filed challenging Maui Bill 9 ....

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Friday, December 26, 2025
Lahaina: Tourists Better be out of Town by Sundown
By News Release @ 12:01 AM :: 2491 Views :: Maui County, Small Business, Tourism

... plan to be out of the area no later than 6 p.m. ....

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Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Green Fee: Court Denies Cruise Lines' Motion for Preliminary Injunction
By News Release @ 3:10 PM :: 1503 Views :: Jones Act, Taxes, Tourism

... The AG isn't telling you this, but the plaintiffs immediately filed an appeal to the 9th Circuit.  They also filed a motion for a stay pending appeal ....

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Sunday, December 21, 2025
Bill 9 Creates Legal and Economic Crisis
By Grassroot Institute @ 2:24 PM :: 1115 Views :: Maui County, Development, Land Use, Small Business, Tourism

... Bill 9 will cause job losses for Maui residents, impede entrepreneurship, reduce county tax revenues and result in expensive litigation against the county ....

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Saturday, December 20, 2025
Bill 9: First Lawsuit Filed
By Andrew Walden @ 2:06 PM :: 7446 Views :: Maui County, Development, Land Use, Small Business, Tourism

... The ink of Bissen’s signature is barely dry and, precisely as predicted, the litigation is already beginning ....

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Friday, December 19, 2025
Kona, Kahului Most Expensive Car Rentals in USA
By News Release @ 11:12 AM :: 1108 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Tourism, Cost of Living

... and Lihue comes in 7th ....

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Tuesday, December 16, 2025
​Booking.com fights to revive challenge to Hawaii tax rule
By Court House News @ 11:00 PM :: 722 Views :: Taxes, Tourism

... Hawaii laws levy a general excise tax on accommodation bookings but the state insists Booking.com can't preemptively challenge the law before actually paying the tax ....

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Monday, December 15, 2025
Bissen signs Bill 9 into law immediately after Maui County Council vote
By News Release @ 11:25 PM :: 1353 Views :: Maui County, Small Business, Tourism, Cost of Living

...The final vote to approve Bill 9 was 5-3 with Gabe Johnson, Shane Sinenci, Keani-Rawlins-Fernandez, Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins and Tamara Paltin voting yes. Yuki Lei Sugimura, Tom Cook and Chair Alice Lee voted no....

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Friday, December 12, 2025
UHERO Forecast for the State of Hawaiʻi: Mild recession and weak recovery in 2026
By UHERO @ 1:18 PM :: 818 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... A tourism downturn is now underway, and job losses will occur in a number of sectors in 2026 ....

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Thursday, December 11, 2025
Kalaupapa, site of Catholic saint history, reopens to visitors
By Selected News Articles @ 1:09 PM :: 783 Views :: Maui County, Hawaii History, Religion, Tourism

... For the last five years, this historical space has been closed to the public . But now, visitors are welcomed back ....

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Sunday, December 7, 2025
Making a Federal Case Out of the Green Fee
By Tom Yamachika @ 5:00 AM :: 826 Views :: Jones Act, Judiciary, Taxes, Tourism

... the cruise lines alleged that the tax appeal system we have here is anything but plain, speedy, and efficient ....

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Tuesday, December 2, 2025
City now accepting resumes for Honolulu Liquor Commission Administrator
By News Release @ 4:15 AM :: 979 Views :: Honolulu County, Ethics, Law Enforcement, Small Business, Tourism, Drugs

... outgoing Administrator Sal Petilos is retiring after two and a half years with the City ....

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Saturday, November 29, 2025
Visitor Spending Rose in October 2025 Despite Declining Visitor Arrivals
By News Release @ 11:23 AM :: 1494 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... Visitors in October 2025 spent more on an average daily basis ($277 per person, +12.0%) which offset a 2.9 percent decrease in total arrivals to 749,095 visitors ....

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Thursday, November 27, 2025
AG Report: Governor’s office fired Isaac Choy for threatening Audit of CNHA’s $27M HTA Contract
By Andrew Walden @ 9:46 PM :: 4372 Views :: Ethics, Hawaii State Government, Politicians, Tourism

... What is it about CNHA’s $27M HTA contract that the Governor’s Office, CNHA, and HTA are trying to hide from auditors? ....

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Saturday, November 22, 2025
State-funded marketing is not the answer to low tourist turnout
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:58 PM :: 988 Views :: Tourism

... When you make it difficult for people to visit, they take the hint and stop coming ....

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Thursday, November 20, 2025
East Maui Streams: BLNR Defers Decision on how to make a Decision about how to Decide
By News Release @ 10:00 PM :: 1625 Views :: Maui County, Environment, Agriculture, Tourism

... BLNR voted Friday, November 14, to defer for six months its decision-making on a DLNR Land Division recommendation to hold a contested case hearing over the proposed disposition of a water license by public auction ....

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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Tourist Control Methods Spread to Four More State Parks
By News Release @ 10:29 PM :: 956 Views :: Tourism

... Four popular Hawaiʻi state parks will implement parking management and fee systems for nonresidents and commercial vehicles ....

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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Feds Challenge Green Fee in Court: 'Illegal Extortion Scheme'
By Andrew Walden @ 2:51 AM :: 3347 Views :: Jones Act, Taxes, Tourism

... The Constitution’s Tonnage Clause bars States from imposing any “charge for the privilege of entering, trading in, or lying in a port.” ….

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Friday, November 14, 2025
Hawaii faces constitutional showdown over climate tax on cruise ships
By Court House News @ 11:29 PM :: 1433 Views :: Jones Act, Taxes, Tourism

... the Cruise Lines International Association and several Hawaii tour operators are asking for a preliminary injunction to block the law ....

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Saturday, November 8, 2025
Just the beginning: 36-40 Flights Cut over Weekend
By News Release @ 6:29 AM :: 3277 Views :: National News, Tourism

... We expect to cancel roughly 36-40 flights each day through Sunday, Nov. 9 ....

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Sunday, November 2, 2025
TATmas Tree
By Tom Yamachika @ 6:00 AM :: 1200 Views :: DHHL, Taxes, Tourism

... Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is proposing Legislators again hike the Transient Accommodations Tax ....

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Friday, October 31, 2025
Tourist Count Drops 2.5%
By News Release @ 4:30 PM :: 1907 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... there were 690,858 total visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in September 2025, a 2.5 percent decline compared to September 2024 ....

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Thursday, October 16, 2025
Falls of Clyde removed from Honolulu Harbor
By News Release @ 2:18 AM :: 1268 Views :: Hawaii History, Tourism

... the disposal site is approximately 25 miles south of Honolulu Harbor ....

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Monday, October 13, 2025
Green Signs Energy Deal with Japanese Company
By News Release @ 11:34 PM :: 2225 Views :: Energy, World News, Tourism

... Could Hawaii be Supplied with Canadian LNG from JERA? ....

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Sunday, October 12, 2025
Delays spell doom for Lahaina as we knew it
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:48 AM :: 1707 Views :: Maui County, Development, Tourism

"How much longer is it going to take for Lahaina to get back on its feet — five, 10, 15 years?"

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Saturday, October 11, 2025
Bill 9 Compromise: Maybe we will steal only some of the Minatoya List Properties?
By News Release @ 1:45 PM :: 1835 Views :: Maui County, Development, Tourism

... The Bill 9 TIG—which is being dissolved after presentation of its report—included Councilmembers Tamara Paltin, Tom Cook and Shane M. Sinenci ....

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Thursday, October 9, 2025
Family argues helicopter maker is liable in fatal Hawaii crash
By Court House News @ 3:52 AM :: 1241 Views :: Kauai County, Judiciary, Tourism

... a case testing manufacturer immunity under a 1994 federal law ....

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Thursday, October 2, 2025
Green Wants Ultimate Fighting Training Center and Octagon at Aloha Stadium
By Selected News Articles @ 4:36 PM :: 1776 Views :: Honolulu County, Development, Tourism

 “It’s more opportunity to kind of reshape some of the tourism experience that we have" -- Josh Green

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Sunday, September 28, 2025
HTA Whistleblower Isaac Choy Illegally Fired by Governor’s Chief of Staff
By Andrew Walden @ 10:48 PM :: 6036 Views :: Ethics, Hawaii State Government, Tourism

... Court documents allege Choy was illegally fired September 5, 2025, on the written order of Green’s Chief of Staff, Brooke Wilson ....

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Friday, September 26, 2025
Hawaiʻi faces mild recession as tourism falls, inflation rises in new UHERO forecast
By UHERO @ 1:50 PM :: 2276 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... visitor numbers are down, job growth has stalled, and housing activity remains weak ....

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Thursday, September 25, 2025
NASED finally gets around to signing Aloha Stadium Demolition Contracts
By News Release @ 4:21 PM :: 1732 Views :: Honolulu County, Development, Higher Education, Tourism

...  it will be "months" before the remaining agreements are signed ....

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Sunday, September 21, 2025
Report: 41% of Big Island Tourists Staying in TVRs
By News Release @ 6:27 PM :: 2438 Views :: Hawaii County , Small Business, Tourism

... 24 percent of STVR users would not travel to Hawai‘i Island if this lodging option were unavailable ....

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Sunday, September 21, 2025
Politicos Pretend to try to do Something About Lost Golf Tourney
By News Release @ 2:19 PM :: 3057 Views :: Maui County, Environment, Land Use, Tourism

... Where were these politicians while Bissen was creating this problem? ....

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Thursday, September 18, 2025
UHERO: How Do Industry Views of Tourism in Hawai‘i Compare with Residents and Visitors?
By UHERO @ 7:25 PM :: 3932 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... Public debate about tourism in Hawai‘i is often cast in binary terms, either for or against the industry, yet the reality is far more complex ....

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Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Bissen Dumps Water Down Streambed--PGA TOUR Dumps Kapalua
By News Release @ 9:41 PM :: 4962 Views :: Maui County, Land Use, Tourism

... REALITY:  West Maui Stage 2 Water Shortage--Bissen Dumps Water Down Streambed ....

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Sunday, September 7, 2025
DoTax Suddenly Begins Collecting GE Tax on Tips
By Tom Yamachika @ 2:42 PM :: 6064 Views :: Small Business, Taxes, Tourism

... This seems to me to be a departure from past practice ....

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Friday, September 5, 2025
DBEDT: More Slow Growth for Hawaii
By News Release @ 3:54 AM :: 6044 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... Hawaii’s economy to expand by 1.3 percent in 2025, a small upward revision from its previous forecast ....

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Sunday, August 31, 2025
Hawaiian Airlines didn’t fail — The world changed around it
By Selected News Articles @ 5:45 PM :: 5820 Views :: Tourism, COVID-19

... Turning Hawaiian’s story into a morality play might make for easy headlines, but it does little justice to the reality ....

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Sunday, August 31, 2025
No Tax on Tips
By Tom Yamachika @ 6:00 AM :: 5582 Views :: Labor, Taxes, Tourism

An individual who receives tips can exclude up to $25,000 of those tips from his or her gross income....

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Friday, August 29, 2025
Tourist Arrivals Down 4.4%
By News Release @ 2:06 AM :: 5128 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Tourism

... Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $1.95 billion, a 4.3 percent decrease from July 2024 ....

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Friday, August 29, 2025
Green Names Appointees to BLNR, Stadium Authority
By News Release @ 1:58 AM :: 1522 Views :: Development, Higher Education, Land Use, Tourism

... two for BLNR, one for Stadium Authority ....

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Thursday, August 28, 2025
Federal Lawsuit Filed: Cruise Lines Challenge Hawaii’s ‘Green Fee’ as Unconstitutional
By Selected News Articles @ 3:10 PM :: 5615 Views :: Jones Act, Taxes, Tourism

... The 11% surcharge violates the US Constitution’s Tonnage Clause, which prohibits states from imposing taxes on vessels for entering and docking at ports ....

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Saturday, August 23, 2025
$100M Green Fee Slush Fund: Green Appoints Advisory Council
By News Release @ 1:15 PM :: 6449 Views :: Environment, Ethics, Hawaii State Government, Taxes, Tourism

... $100 million annually, directed toward environmental stewardship, hazard mitigation, infrastructure resilience and enhancing the visitor experience ....

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Friday, August 22, 2025
Little-Known Law Makes Hawai‘i Flights More Expensive
By Selected News Articles @ 4:19 AM :: 7278 Views :: Jones Act, Tourism

... U.S. Code (49 U.S.C. §41703), says foreign airlines cannot sell tickets between two U.S. cities ....

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Monday, August 18, 2025
‘New’ HTA board taking off with same old baggage
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 6:50 PM :: 4354 Views :: Tourism

... Some bad ideas just won’t go away ....

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Saturday, August 16, 2025
UHERO: Hawaii has less inequality because nobody can get ahead
By UHERO @ 4:42 PM :: 5427 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics, Labor, Small Business, Tourism, Cost of Living

... 'equality' imposed by a tourism-driven economy and high cost of living ....

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Thursday, August 14, 2025
12 New Members Appointed to HTA Board
By News Release @ 5:32 PM :: 3891 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Tourism

... The appointments follow the resignation of the previous board earlier this summer ....

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Sunday, August 10, 2025
Encumbrance for the Stadium
By Tom Yamachika @ 6:00 AM :: 4561 Views :: Ethics, Development, Hawaii State Government, Higher Education, Tourism

... Act 88 of 2021, which Act 248 amended, stated that the appropriations in the biennium budget would lapse on June 30, 2024 ....

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