Latest news with #HawaiiTourismAuthority
NZ Herald
11-08-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Money raised from the new ‘green fee' will go exclusively to environmental projects
The sum adds substantially to Hawaii's annual budget for 'green infrastructure', which in 2021 amounted to 1% of the state's economy. According to a recent assessment led by Jack Kittinger, senior vice-president for Conservation International's Centre for Regenerative Economies, that leaves the state short by about US$560m per year. 'The deficit that we have in conservation financing is why our environmental quality continues to decline,' he says. According to Green, it was the Maui fires that inspired the state legislature to act. The Governor had repeatedly proposed such legislation in prior years without success. 'Those fires profoundly awakened our state to the reality that we have to have a mechanism to mitigate risk and prepare for future potential disasters,' Green says. The bill goes into effect on January 1, 2026. It's already adding to a conversation about sustainable tourism management that's spreading both across the US and, more broadly, around the world. As part of President Donald Trump's signature bill passed on July 4, national parks too will begin charging tourism fees - albeit only for foreign visitors - to fund conservation initiatives no longer covered by federal budgets. And in destinations as disparate as Venice and Bhutan, new rules either introduce or raise the cost of tourism taxes. The aim is to turn tourism spending into a tool for conservation, despite its own environmental cost. 'As time goes by,' Green says, 'people will appreciate how well we're able to maintain Hawaii's beaches and natural wonders. We want to protect those for future generations.' First on the Agenda Ten million tourists visit Hawaii each year, putting a tremendous burden on the state's ecosystem. Trails and vegetation become more trampled, beaches become littered, and the influx of people puts a greater strain on water and sewage resources. Even before the first green-fee tax bill is passed along to guests, Green is making a list of projects he'd like to tackle with the proceeds, such as securing roads threatened by ocean surge and fortifying crumbling bluffs. The investments aim to preserve tourism sites and quality of life for locals while also creating jobs, with legislators from each island weighing in on the priorities. If the projects succeed, the green fee could expand; if not, it may be scrapped within the year. Kauai, Hawaii, United States. Photo / Unsplash On Kauai's Nepali coast, there's already an example of small changes making big impacts. Parking was eliminated at a beach park that was once plagued by tourism impacts. By creating a remote lot with a pay-to-ride shuttle service, once-trampled areas such as taro patches began to regrow, and the initiative created local jobs and improved satisfaction for tourists and locals alike-serving as a model for broader statewide efforts. As a sign of how serious Green is about addressing the state's environmental problems, he's phasing out the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the agency that, since 1998, has led policy and marketing efforts. Not long after the new green fee bill passed, Green asked for and received the resignations of the entire board of directors. In the agency's place will be the Destination Stewardship Organisation, a new non-profit managing tourism with an emphasis on community values, sustainability and control, rather than treating it as a commodity. Not everybody is on board Some tourists are referring to the new levy as a 'surf tax' due to the prominence of budget-conscious surfers on Hawaii's legendary breaks. However, the overwhelming consensus is that neither tourists nor hotels are truly sweating on the increased fee. 'The visitor industry relies on Hawaii's natural environment, and we aren't doing enough to protect it,' says Carl Bonham, a professor of economics at the University of Hawaii. 'This bill had significant support from the hotel industry, because the money is being reinvested in something that's going to protect the tourism industry,' he adds. The fees could add to a landscape in which tourists increasingly feel ripped off. Online message boards already show plenty of consumer frustration over untangling the fine print around the state's many required permits, reservations and fees. Malia Hill, director of policy for the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, warns that all this could hurt the destination's appeal and dampen visitor spending with restaurants and tour operators. 'I don't think enough thought was given to how it will affect the economy,' she says. Green argues that locals won't be affected on a large scale. 'It'll have a very, very minimal impact on local people,' he says. 'When we had Covid, we had a period of time where we had US$120 tests per person, and people still came in very large numbers.' A model for other states? There's precedent for Hawaii's green fee around the world-just not in the US. Bhutan has long charged a 'Sustainable Development Fee' of US$65 per day - and continues to attract travellers after raising it to US$200 in 2022. Palau's US$100 'Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee' has similarly funded its protected marine areas while maintaining steady tourism since 2018. The revenue from these fees in Bhutan and Palau also directly supports sustainability projects like tree planting, reef protection, and national park up-keep. In Bhutan and Palau, high fees keep mass tourism from taking root in delicate places that can draw fewer but high-paying travellers. Many more destinations have been upping their fees, or adding new ones, in recent years. Venice, which in 2024 implemented a day-tripper tax of up to about US$12 to address overtourism, is more like Hawaii in the size and scale of its tourism industry. A year into its programme, there's been no reported decline in visitor interest, while the fees are ensuring that local residents don't bear the full cost of tourism. The revenue is helping to fund everything from waste management to cultural programmes. And Greece has created a similar programme too; in January 2024 the country introduced the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee to replace its old hotel tax system, which charges travellers up to €10 per night. The Maldives, Bali, and even New Zealand have also passed legislation to introduce new climate-focused tourism levies in recent years. Green believes that Hawaii's new green fee will serve as an example for other states -though he's less clear on what benchmarks the state must hit to prove that the new fee is making an impact. 'I have had some interest from two or three governors,' he says. 'It's probably different for everyone, but I expect other places that have challenges with the climate, especially those with long shorelines or fire hazards, to do some version of this.'
Fox News
25-07-2025
- Fox News
Ancient 'stick figures' on beach once again visible at tourist destination
Tourists and locals in Oahu, Hawaii, are once again able to view an ancient marvel. Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least half a millennium are visible for the first time in years, according to The Associated Press (AP). (See the video at the top of this article.) The stick figure-like etchings were revealed due to seasonal ocean swells that peel away sand that had been covering over two dozen images, AP reported. Petroglyphs are also known as kiʻi pōhaku. They're lava rock carvings etched into stone centuries ago made by Native Hawaiians, according to the Hawaii Island's government site. While researchers are not sure what the echings mean, it is believed they mark birth records or other important events. Carvings of human forms, canoes, turtles and other objects are pictured around the islands. In 2023, 9.6 million visitors traveled to Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Oahu is home to the state capitol of Honolulu and is the third largest and most populated island in Hawaii. The island of Oahu has two main extinct volcanoes, Waiʻanae and Koʻolau. They're responsible for forming the island.
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- The Advertiser
A Hawaiian road trip with family, fierce waves and unforgettable moments
Road-trip ready in Oahu. Picture: Getty Images By Lance Richardson Updated July 11, 2025, first published July 12, 2025 You have not truly arrived in Hawaii until you spot one of the countless feral chickens strutting somewhere it does not belong. My first sighting is on the freeway heading into Honolulu; the chicken steps off the median strip into heavy traffic, apparently suicidal, and I think: Yes! I have missed this strange and wonderful place. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area I first visited the island of Oahu some 15 years ago. That trip was part of an ongoing effort to escape from family and expectations - to shake everything familiar for a while and taste true freedom. I figured I would travel for a bit, like many young Australians do, and then settle down in Sydney and grow up. But I never got around to returning home again. I kept travelling, moving further and further away from where I'd started, until I found myself living near Boston, a permanent exile. This time I have come to Oahu not to escape family, but to be reunited with it. My parents have just disembarked from an international cruise. My husband and I have flown in to meet them for a few days of leisure. The plan is to tour the island in a rental car together, driving my mother and father from secluded beach to shrimp shack, just as they used to drive my siblings and I around during school holidays. Waipio Fruit Shack in Hawaii. Picture: Hawaii Tourism Authority We find them in a Waikiki hotel, drinking with other Australians - friends who also took the cruise - in a seventh-floor hallway. This happy hour celebration, unsanctioned by the hotel staff, is an economic response to the brutal exchange rate. "We went to a tiki bar and had two cocktails each, and it was $180!" one of the women tells me, her voice quivering with righteous indignation. My mother is sipping a drink mixed from various bottles on a table. My father, dressed in a festive Hawaiian shirt, holds out a paper cup full of Jim Beam - a welcome toast. Aloha. Anybody who sees their parents only sporadically knows that ageing tends to happen in jump cuts. You hold an image in your head of what they looked like during the last meeting, and then suddenly, in a disconcerting flash, you are forced to revise that image, superimposing years and wrinkles over their faces. The impression is only heightened on this trip because a mysterious illness has recently left my father with less than half his lung capacity, and shockingly underweight. In the afternoon, we shuffle slowly through the enormous outdoor mall of Waikiki, catching up on news from Down Under, and I have a moment of vertigo as I realise that my parents have somehow grown old when I wasn't paying attention. The writer (second from left) with his family. My father soon returns to the hotel to rest. For our first Hawaiian dinner, we escort my mother to join the line at Marugame Udon on Kuhio Avenue, where an "Udon master" stretches fresh noodles in the window like a magician performing tricks. After we finally get served and take a seat inside, my mother declares that the dashi broth is "not bad" - it is excellent, in fact - before revealing, with a resigned sigh, that my father has started using a cane with a fold-out chair. The Windward Coast and North Shore Oahu is a modest 1546 square kilometres in size, with a coastline of just 365 kilometres. A drive is the optimal way to explore the island, and the best one takes you up the east side - the Windward Coast, so-named for the trade winds that blow in across the Pacific - then west along the wild North Shore, and then south through the island's verdant centre, right back to Honolulu, forming a convenient loop that can be completed in a single morning and afternoon. We start at Leonard's Bakery, which is marked by a hard-to-miss Vegas-style neon sign. Leonard's Portuguese donuts, called malasadas, explode with guava, coconut or macadamia nut cream, so your hands end up sticky on the steering wheel. "It's like eating air," coos my mother from the backseat, the pink donut box cradled by her side as we head out of the city. Diamond Head, an enormous volcanic tuff cone, rises from the island like a meteor impact. We pause at the Amelia Earhart marker - commemorating her first solo flight from California to Hawaii in 1935 - then continue through expensive oceanfront neighbourhoods where warning signs announce a Tsunami Hazard Area. (Beautiful views come with a measure of risk.) After about 20 minutes of driving, we reach the Holona Blowhole Lookout. The ocean explodes through a tiny chute, sending a plume of water high into the air. But my attention is drawn to the road ahead, which hugs a prehistoric coast so spectacular it seems straight out of Jurassic Park: steep crenulated cliffs, and beaches that would, anywhere else in the world, be the kind of attractions promoted on the cover of brochures. Diamond Head. Picture: Hawaii Tourism Authority/Tor Johnson We head up to Kailua and stop at Kalama Beach Park. There are no tourists to speak of, only locals walking their dogs, a guy washing his muscle car, more of those endearing chickens. My father perches on a piece of driftwood to catch his breath, and the rest of us wander down past palm trees to a tide the temperature of last night's dashi broth. People live here, I want to shout, waving my hands around at the obscene beauty. People get to see this every day! As we head farther north, I start to keep a list of all the places I would frequent if this were my home, fantasising a different kind of life. The stalls selling peach cobbler. The orchid farm. The Waiahole Poi Factory, for squid luau and ice cream. The guy grilling huli-huli chicken over mesquite wood by the side of the road. In Punaluu, we stop for lunch at the bright yellow Shrimp Shack, an old truck with rusted-out wheels. "Wouldn't want to drive anywhere with those," Dad whispers. The menu is scrawled on a surfboard, and spice comes in four levels: mild, medium, hot or "lava". We carry our meals across the road to yet another beach, and once the plates are licked clean, I stick my head in Ching's Punaluu Store, which is decorated with portraits of the early Chinese families who once lived in the area, fishing for mahi-mahi in the shallow barrier reef. Luluku Road at Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden on the Island of Oahu. After lunch, the road bends east, and we reach the North Shore, so renowned for its mammoth waves that surfers will flock here and throw themselves into the water as though hypnotised. My father is a veteran of the Australian Navy, and he was briefly stationed on Oahu during the 1970s. "Did you ever make it to the North Shore?" my husband asks from the driver's seat. "You wouldn't have got past the first pub!" my mother interjects, and Dad does not deny it. There are no turtles on Turtle Beach, but Sunset Beach, which hosts the Vans World Cup of Surfing each year, is baking under a hot sun. A lifeguard with a motorised surfboard seems more interested in the waves than he does in patrolling. As I burrow my feet into wet sand, a surfer with a prosthetic leg runs past me shouting "Dude!" - and throws himself bodily into the ocean. A shrimp shack restaurant. Picture: Getty Images Our last stop of the day, a place I have been hyping up to my parents for months, is Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa Town. Ice cream, shaved ice, flavoured sugar syrup, azuki beans, and mochi balls add up to a divine island treat. "It's nice, it's different," my mother says, in a voice so exactly like Kath Day-Knight that it makes me homesick. Then it is straight back through the centre of the island, past pineapple plantations, a Buddhist temple, various military installations. (The US military controls 21 per cent of Oahu's land area.) The mountains are incredible from this angle, but as the sun starts to dip, I hear the unmistakable sound of an older man snoring in the back seat. Look, who doesn't need a break from their parents? If you find yourself on Oahu and want a bit of quiet time, here is a tip. Head to the Kuli'Ou'Ou neighborhood in Honolulu. Park in the backstreets, fill your backpack with bottles of water, and walk to the edge of the forest reserve. The Kuli'Ou'Ou Ridge Trail is 6.5 kilometres, and takes about three sweaty hours from start to finish. Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. Picture: Getty Images The trail climbs upwards through tropical forest, then up a staircase cut into the side of the Ko'olau range, until you reach a lookout so high it is said you can see the islands of Molokai and Lanai on a clear day. Honolulu unfurls down below to the south. Waimanalo, to the east, nuzzles around a turquoise bay. The view is transcendent. The silence is absolute. Peace. The next morning, we herd my parents into the car and hit the road again. This time we head west from Honolulu, passing Pearl Harbour, where the USS Arizona continues to plume oil from its watery grave. The western side of Oahu is known as the Leeward Coast, a more remote world divided from the rest of the island by the Wai'anae Range. If visitors come here at all, it is usually to see Aulani, the Disney resort - which we speed right past on the Farrington Highway. Dashboard decoration. Picture: Getty Images You cannot drive a full unbroken circle around Oahu. There is no road beyond Ka'ena Point. We came close to one side of the break with our shaved ice at Haleiwa; now we approach the other side by stopping at Keawaula Beach, just past a radar station labelled "US Space Force". The beach is completely deserted, the antithesis of busy Waikiki. We fan out across the sand, making our way towards an ocean that is colder and wilder than it is on other parts of the island. My father, struggling for breath, pauses at a steep incline in the dunes, and watching him, I have a sudden memory of childhood: Dad with a stick, delighting me and my siblings by carving Allan Salisbury's Snake into the sand of some Australian beach. In this remote place so far from home, I am overcome, for a moment, with deep gratitude that we can make this Hawaiian road trip together. Like all parents, my folks can be annoying sometimes, but gosh I love them. Getting there: Hawaiian Airlines, Jetstar and Qantas fly from Australia to Oahu, the main gateway to all the Hawaiian islands. From Oahu, the other islands are a short inter-island flight away. There is also a ferry service connecting Maui and Lanai. Touring there: Several companies offer a day trip around the island, but the optimal way of touring is self-guided with a rental car collected at the airport. This being America, be sure to max out the insurance options. When to go: The summer months (June to August) are beautiful but busy on Oahu, as are the winter months (December to March), which is peak surfing season on the North Shore. Consider visiting during the spring or autumn shoulders, when the weather is still fine and the crowds are thinner. Explore more: The writer travelled at his own expense
Travel Weekly
03-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
A clean slate at the Hawaii Tourism Authority
Christine Hitt All members of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) board of directors have resigned, clearing the way for Gov. Josh Green to make new appointments. In June, Green asked for all board members, including recently appointed board chair Todd Apo, to resign. As of July 2, they have all done so. It is expected that the governor will appoint new board members as the next step in his plan for a fresh start. A lot has changed at the Hawaii Tourism Authority in a few short months. Following the March departure of interim president and CEO Daniel Nahoopii and board chair Mufi Hannemann, a bill introduced in the legislature, which would restructure HTA, advanced. Senate Bill 1571 passed the house and senate in May and was signed by Hawaii Gov. Josh Green into law as Act 132 on May 29. Some of the changes to Hawaii Tourism Authority's structure include stripping the board of its power, by changing it from "a policymaking" board to an "advisory board of directors." The director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has been removed as a member of the board; and the new law allows the House speaker and Senate president to appoint a member. The board still has the ability to hire and fire its CEO, but the governor must approve the appointment "subject to the advice and consent of the Senate." The president and CEO also reports to the governor, according to the bill's text.
Fox News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Hawaii enacts 'green fee' on tourists to raise $100 million annually for climate, ecology protection
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) has signed into law a "Green Fee" bill that will raise tourist taxes to help fund "climate-change" mitigation. Senate Bill 1396 raises the tourist tax on Hawaii hotels to 11% starting Jan. 1 — which would then increase to 12% the following year, according to the text of the bill. Portions of the revenue raised would go into the "Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Special Fund" and the "Economic Development and Revitalization Special Fund," according to the bill. The bill addresses invasive species, wildlife conservation and beach management and restoration. It will also help fund a "green jobs youth corps" and areas of environmental concern. "Hawaiʻi is at the forefront of protecting our natural resources, recognizing their fundamental role in sustaining the ecological, cultural and economic health of Hawaiʻi," said Gov. Green in a press release. The Aloha State governor added, "The fee will restore and remediate our beaches and shorelines and harden infrastructure critical to the health and safety of all who call Hawaiʻi home, whether for a few days or a lifetime." In 2023, 9.6 million visitors traveled to Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Hawaii already has a 10.25% tax on short-term rentals. The state's counties each add their own 3% surcharge on top of the state's tax, according to FOX 13. "Hawaii already imposes what some believe are high taxes on the hospitality sector and short-term stays," said Travel Tomorrow. The Green Fee is projected to generate $100 million annually, according to the release.
