Maui councilmembers are tossing around the idea of a tourism management commission for the county.
The Maui County Council is moving Bill 138 to create the commission, focusing on reducing the negative impacts of tourism while maximizing its benefits.
Under the proposed bill's current language, its responsibilities would mostly involve making policy recommendations.
The commission would consist of nine members appointed by the council and two by the mayor. Five areas would have to be represented: Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Hāna, West Maui and South Maui.
One key stipulation of the bill is that nobody with a “direct financial interest” would be allowed on the commission.
“We always hear from the lobbyists and from the corporate interests of the tourism industry, and they get paid to do that. They get paid to come and talk to us and advocate on behalf of corporate interests,” said councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, who introduced the bill, at a Thursday council meeting.
“There isn’t a commission or a body to promote the interests of our community that do not have financial interests in the tourism industry," she added.
While the bill was introduced in 2022, Rawlins-Fernandez said now is an important time to discuss the formation of such a commission, as Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry has been put under a spotlight following the August fires on Maui.
The bill received a mixed response on Thursday. One testifier called the formation of a commission a “no-brainer,” while another said there are groups and entities to deal with these issues, and that resources would be better spent on following through with plans and strategies already in place.
Others say it’s unreasonable to form a tourism commission that excludes anyone affiliated with the industry.
The bill was deferred to be discussed again at a later council meeting.
