Tourism

...the bleeding baby whales are left to suffer an unknown fate in shark-infested waters....

• DATE: Wednesday, January 08, 2014
• TIME: 9:30 a.m.
• PLACE: Conference Room 229, State Capitol

U.S. East visitor expenditures decreased 15 percent to $201 million due to fewer arrivals (-9.2% to 105,834 visitors) and lower daily visitor spending (-6.7% to $187 per person)....

Travelers are currently charged $2.50 per flight under the Transportation Security Administration’s airline security “fee.” Under the budget deal, that would increase to $5.60 per flight or $11.20 for a round-trip ticket....

The authority’s incohesive, self-described “marketing plan” and poor reporting on measures of effectiveness impede transparency....

North Shore residents and transportation officials have been discussing proposals to improve Laniakea traffic for years....

Total arrivals, which have shown growth since September 2011, lowered by 1 percent to 594,181 visitors....

Growth is holding up in Hawaii, driven by still-strong tourism and rising construction....

Visitors spend about $76 million a day in communities near national parks, the National Park Service estimated....

The last few months have seen 10-20 percent declines in the exchange rates of many Pacific countries against the US Dollar….

...Kailua Neighborhood Board overwhelmingly adopted a resolution asking the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to respect the zoning and quality of life of residential neighborhoods and stop promoting Kailua....

The Golden State is at the top of the list; fellow oceanfront states Hawaii (2) and Florida (3) round out the top three, followed by Texas (4) and Colorado (5)....

The TPP has been behind closed doors for a long time. The wait will be more than worth it if a sound agreement is struck....

Surfing the Nations is counteracting the widespread perception that surfing is only about individual fulfillment....

In 2013, there have been eight incidents, including four within the last month. Four of this year’s incidents occurred on Maui....

...final judgment in favor of the State of Hawaii and against nine Online Travel Companies selling Hawaii hotel rooms over the Internet....

Visitors who came to Hawai‘i in June 2013 spent a total of $1.3 billion, an increase of 7 percent from June 2012....

On our international routes we are seeing the strengthening of the dollar undermine some of the excellent results we have had in the last couple of years but this portion of our business remains the core focus of our expansion plans....

Hawaii, which had been among the top ten states in previous studies, fell from 8th in 2008, to 11th in 2009, and now to 13th in 2012....

The court concluded that the Charter amendment adopted by the voters was, in reality, a prohibited zoning initiative....

DLNR will hold a public information meeting from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, July 18....

3 beaches (1%) had more than 20% of their samples exceed state standard(s)....

Honolulu rings up the biggest tab as the most expensive U.S. destination with a TripIndex cost of $504.94, while Las Vegas offers the most affordable stay at $272.94...

Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Collins Kilgore ordered Ope Saaga to pay $407,003.93 in restitution to consumers and $3.86 million in civil penalties....

...visitors to the state appear to be booking shorter trips and spending less at local shops, perhaps in response to higher hotel room rates....

The Yen-denominated price of Hawaii vacations jumped 3% today and has increased 23% since September....

Tax Appeal Court Judge Gary W.B. Chang yesterday granted the State of Hawaii’s motion for summary judgment....

The Pro Bowl is back for 2014, and it's back in Hawaii. After that, we'll just have to see....

...the governor interrupted by saying he has been hearing “the same propaganda.”

...direct flights to Hawaii will exceed 2.6 M for the three month period between February and April 2013. This is an increase of more than 11%....

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SB 894 would authorize the state to expend funds, swap land and explore other solutions to help preserve Turtle Bay lands.  This bill can be brought back next year, if negotiations fail, or to implement terms of an agreement....

Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawai‘i in January 2013 rose 5.7 percent (or $77.3 million) from January 2012....

...higher minimum wage is unlikely to accomplish the stated goal of raising the living standards of the working poor....

Recognizing the need to help the state balance it books, the hotel industry agreed to a temporary increase in the TAT rate which was increased two percentage points from 7.25% to 9.25%. The temporary increase is supposed to expire on June 30, 2015....

Air carriers have optimistically boosted scheduled seats from Japan, although in our view yen depreciation and higher room rates will act to limit further Japanese market gains....

Just bluff an increase in TAT and they all line up in favor of extending the ‘temporary’ 9.25% rate....

Growth in total visitor expenditures and arrivals in every month of the year elevated annual 2012 total visitor expenditures to a record $14.3 billion....

“This ruling will significantly increase costs for all tour operators, travel agents, OTCs, and other travel intermediaries...."

...there's still lots of room for Mr Obama's administration to do more, and the US Travel Association has a great plan to further improve the situation....

Higher income Asian economies have suffered the most from the trade falloff. At the same time, labor markets and fiscal conditions in East and Southeast Asian developing countries remain far stronger than in the developed world....