Tourism

... industries with significant growth potential that are currently facing obstacles such as inadequate infrastructure, skills shortages, and market and government failures ....

... as of Monday, July 1, 2024, Bikeshare Hawaiʻi has turned over its oversight role of the Biki bikeshare system to DTS ....

... The remade Lahaina will be a tourist-oriented animation of the pre-plantation era when the economy was based on slaughtering lots of whales ....

... tourist count down 4.8%, spending down 4.0% ....

... Advocates to keep the stairs told the court that demolishing them will threaten the state's official mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat. ....

... virtually all local economists realize the main cause of Hawaii’s housing crisis is the state’s extremely high number of land-use and other housing-related regulations that have hindered homebuilding ....

... we would expect to see significant–possibly double digit–declines in condominium prices on Maui ....

... Hawaii's population increases by 66.4 percent during high season due to overtourism ....

... Hawaii taxes beer at $0.93 per gallon ....

... Study shows short-term rentals generated $2.2 billion in economic activity for Maui and $11.3 billion across Hawaii in 2023 ....

... UH has been peddling '3.2-foot' sea level rise claims since 2018.  That projection was itself a doubling of earlier projections.  Now they have suddenly doubled it again to six feet.  Did you notice? .... 

... four of the districts have no representation, which could raise questions about fairness over any recommendations the planning body might make ....

... Between January and April 2024, visitor arrivals by air to Maui County fell 24.0 percent and expenditures decreased 22.6 percent compared to the same four months in 2023 ....

... a $3.49 million tax increase on hotels and resorts and a $4.15 million increase on vacation rentals ....

... There were 753,551 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in April 2024, down 8.9 percent from the same month last year. Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $1.51 billion, which was a 12.6 percent drop from April 2023 ....

... Hawaii emerges as the state with the highest average price for a medium cheese pizza, reaching $18.99 ....

... The cruise line elected to include Nāpali Coast sailings after being unable to make port calls at Lahaina due to last year’s wildfires ....

... One of the most persistent myths in Hawaii politics is that you can target a single group with a tax hike and not affect anyone else ....

... To make a buck, CNHA will help move Hawaiians out of Hawaii ....

... The plan will have its first hearing on June 25 before the Maui Planning Commission ....

... Hawaii’s economy will grow at a slower pace than in past years ....

... “Economic pressures will cause ‘toxic’ hysteria to be hyped up until locals sell out.  Then the hysteria will evaporate and be forgotten as Lahaina is rebuilt as Wailea v2 surrounding the ‘Venice of the Pacific’ water feature.”  -- HFP, Nov 2023 ....

... rate would increase by 82% for B&Bs worth $3 million or more ....

“We thank Gov. Green, Hawai‘i legislators, and our partners at the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, UNITE HERE Local 5, and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142 for their leadership in passing this important law."--AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey

... The bill clarifies the counties’ authority to control the time, place, manner, and duration of land uses, particularly transient accommodations including short-term rentals ....

... over the last 16 years, one bird died ....

... There were 855,537 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in March 2024, down 5.0 percent from a year ago. Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $1.76 billion, which was a drop of 4.2 percent compared to March 2023 ....

... We all know Sundays are holy days set aside for the worship of the Goddess Gaia ....

... A conference committee agreed to pass Senate Bill 2919, which would allow counties to create zoning laws regulating short-term rentals .... 

... this law firm also filed a similar suit wherein JetBlue was subsequently blocked in its attempt to acquire Spirit Airlines ....

... 'Toxic' hysteria has been used to keep property owners away from their lots in the Lahaina burn zone--but the DoH just can't find any toxins ....

“...30% respondents reported that if there was not a home and vacation rental option during their recent stay in Hawaii, they would not have made the trip....”

... more than 500 companies with commercial use permits from the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), began collecting one dollar from each passenger or customer ....

... February 2024 average daily census of 236,008 is a decline from 2023 ....

... Green: No Permits to rebuild Until End of 2024 ....

... Once Hawaii County forces families to apply for permits, the next step will be an effort to ban our industry entirely ....

... City suspends enforcement of a city ordinance that’s driving several restaurants in Waikiki out of business ....

... to phase out short-term rentals and impose higher taxes on them ....

... Short-term rental owners in Hawaii could hardly find a better spokesperson for their cause ....

... January 2024, total visitor arrivals to the Hawaiian Islands (763,480 visitors, -3.6%) and total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars ($1.81 billion, -4.5%) declined compared to January 2023 ....

... two proposals that would increase the transient accommodation tax, known as TAT ....

... House Bill 2406 would impose a $25 "transient accommodation tax," also known as a TAT, on top of the 10.25% TAT that is already in place ....

... To prevent tourists from seeing muddy water, West Kauai seed farms will be required to get federal NPIDES permits ....

... Since the August 2023 Maui wildfires, visitor arrivals have decreased in four out of the last five months while visitor spending recorded five straight months of decline compared to 2022 ....

... Senate Bill 2919 establishes State Regulations for short-term vacation rentals, allows the counties to adopt zoning ordinances and regulations for the amortization or phasing out of certain land lands or structures, and applies the TAT to shelters and vehicles with, or advertised as including, sleeping accommodations ....

“...30% respondents reported that if there was not a home and vacation rental option during their recent stay in Hawaii, they would not have made the trip....”

... Turn Lahaina into Wailea v2 surrounding the ‘Venice of the Pacific’ water feature ....

... HDOT is also working with contractors to mill and resurface a 10’ X 10’ area. Expected completion of the resurfacing, which will allow the runway to reopen, is prior to first light Tuesday, Jan. 16 ....

... 2,400-plus households, totaling more than 5,928 individuals, remain housed in more than 30 hotels throughout Maui ....

... Hawaiian Airlines has not been owned by an individual or entity in Hawaii for a long time ....