Tourism

...More THC, Vaping, and lots of Weed for Kids, Tourists, and out-of-state students....

...By comparison, hotel properties averaged an 82.9 percent occupancy rate for the same quarter....

...Ige recently nominated the four business and community leaders to serve on HTA’s board, with their appointments confirmed by the Hawaii State Senate....

...The island of Hawai‘i realized growth in visitor spending despite a drop in visitor arrivals (-1.6%) in May year-over-year....

...The list can be used by the public, property owners, realtors and the County for a quick determination about whether short-term occupancy – defined by the county as fewer than 180 days – is allowed without a permit....

...The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums....

...HTA CEO George Szegeti said “In CY2017 the convention center turned a net operating profit of $1.1 million, marking its second consecutive year of profitability.” This is surprising news, indeed....

...Total visitor arrivals rose 6.6 percent to 803,005 visitors in April....

...All Counties and All Classes of Hawai‘i Hotel Properties Reported Solid RevPAR and ADR Increases in April....

"...Hawaii is Open for Business: There is absolutely no reason for visitors planning a trip to the Hawaiian Islands to change or alter their leisure or business travel plans...."

...SB 2699 proposes to make “resort fees” subject to our Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT)....

...In comparison, occupancy of hotel properties statewide averaged 80.0 percent in 2017....

... Southwest Airlines Intends To Serve Hawaii Nonstop From California Airports In Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, & Sacramento -- and Interisland ....

...Even though most respondents still think tourism brings more benefits than costs to our state, the percent of those who think otherwise has been rising for some time....

...Request for Proposals for Ala Wai Golf Course Driving Range Awarded to Topgolf Hawai‘i....

...HB 2432, one of the bills actively being considered this session, proposes to hike the “transient occupancy tax,” or TOT, by an as-yet-unspecified amount....

...This solution has passed the House before, but not yet in the Senate; however, this time the provision is included in a major bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration....

...Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $4.82 billion in the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 10.1 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017....

"...Misinformation is being circulated that attempts to downplay the devastating effects that HB2010 SD2 will have on HTA’s tourism marketing...."

...Hawai‘i Visitor Spending Generated $1.52 Billion in February 2018....

...Hawaii is only building half of the units necessary to keep up with demand....

... The TAT amount for the City & County of Honolulu is unchanged ....

...The purpose of the RFI is to gauge whether there is interest among prospective developers in obtaining a long-term lease of the Site (but check out the terms)....

...Furthermore, according to official court documents of the State of Hawaii, Moses Enoka Heanu, the alleged “Chief Justice” of your “court” is a registered sex offender who was sentenced to five (5) years in prison for three (3) felony counts of sexual assault in the Third Circuit court of the State of Hawaii in 1998....

...In the middle of this process, sometimes a letter from the Governor arrives saying, “We need to make some adjustments...."

...Air Service to Hawai‘i Increased 9.7 percent in January....

...the court held they could be held liable, even though it is their home, first concluding that renting out a room in your home qualifies as offering a public accommodation, even though it is your residence....

...HTA’s autonomy, which includes permanent funding and an exemption from the State Procurement Code, has facilitated lax oversight, deficient internal controls, and, ultimately, less accountability....

...In other cases, incidents first reported as drone collisions turned out to involve a bat, an internal malfunction and a plastic bag....

...the Mayor acknowledged the need to overhaul the permit rules, to support competitive opportunities....

...Construction is scheduled to begin in five years....

...American Samoa is not in compliance with the REAL ID Act and Federal agencies will not accept driver's licenses and identification cards from American Samoa as of February 5, 2018....

...$16.78 Billion in Visitor Spending; $1.96 Billion in Generated Tax Revenue; 9.38 Million Visitor Arrivals; 12.23 Million Air Seats Serving Hawai‘i; 204,000 Jobs Supported Statewide....

...the cost only adds more stress, with the average couple shelling out over $35,000 for their big day....

....more money and less accountability....

...More than 100 Trails in Na Ala Hele Trail & Access Program Featured....

“...The state has a responsibility to ensure its natural resources are managed in a scientifically credible way for the benefit of all its citizens. We look forward to being partners in this important work....”

...Statewide Average Daily Rate Rose to $319 in December -- Highest of Any Month in 2017....

...the vessel is already in service and hosting tours along the West side of Oahu....

..."This means there are way more than suspected filers actually paying their transient accommodation taxes than originally estimated"....

...Hawaii Visitor Accommodation Units Surpassed 80,000 Statewide in 2017....

...“They were virtually unheard of in the U.S. 10 years ago”....

...Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $1.29 billion in November 2017, an increase of 4.5 percent compared to a year ago....

...Tourists are attracted to places with well-known Rat Lungworm infestations.  it is a selling point.  Really....

...Improving global conditions provide a favorable environment for continued expansion in the Islands....

...Top HTA Exec solicited thousands of dollars in travel perks from Hawaiian, JAL, Starwood, China Air, and others.... 

...four alternatives proposed for the facility....

...The pilot program requires the rideshare drivers to pay 7 percent of each fare to the state Airports Division....

Should they re-evaluate their tax filings now that the Department’s litigation position is out in the public for all to see?

"...air seats will increase by 8.5 percent during the first three quarters of 2018....”