Tourism

... 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 ....

... A number of restaurants are in a pinch recently.  Here’s what happened to them ....

... Spending was down 2.4% in November when compared to the previous year. However, the number of tourists increased by 0.3% to 731,233 ....

... National Park Service completes Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Air Tour Management Plan ....

... The ordinance that levies heavy fines on short-term rentals in Honolulu remains in effect only for new rentals beginning operations after the ordinance was put in place ....

... Typically, local commanders are permitted to approve routine five-year leases, however, with HDOT seeking a longer term (50 years), the Army had to seek approval in Washington, D.C. ....

... Should the incentives fail to motivate enough STRs to become available, Green may impose a short-term moratorium by mid-January, he said ....

... government actions created the demand for STRs in the first place, and government regulatory failures “created housing unaffordability long before STRs even came into existence." ....

... the mere fact that an airline that was not “Hawai‘i based” came in to buy a “Hawai‘i based airline” that didn’t elicit an immediate hearing in the State Capitol on the merits of it told me that, indeed, the relationship between the people of Hawai‘i, its government officials, and its aviation options, has very much changed....

... Program will house FEMA-ineligible survivors of Maui wildfires for up to 12 months ....

... a definitive agreement under which Alaska Airlines will acquire Hawaiian Airlines for $18.00 per share in cash, for a transaction value of approximately $1.9 billion ....

... looking for a “win-win” result ....

... Community Meeting to be Held at Maui Arts & Cultural Center, December 4 ....

... Maui: 35,526 visitors in October 2023, compared to 59,372 visitors (-40.2%) in October 2022 and 59,620 visitors (-40.4%) in October 2019 ....

... For the last few years, drug addicts had been living in the dilapidated structure ....

... you have to follow the money, especially when there’s a huge surge of funds given to the government to dole out ....

... even the slimmed down plan is worrisome ....

... Ed Underwood said, “The boating program is currently subsidizing free parking in the facility which is not fair to those who are paying the fees" ....

... spending on Maui down more than 50% in September ....

... government should not be there to take choices away ....

... Considering the record of the old Aloha Stadium, there are many questions ....