The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is in the middle of a 90-day plan to address some of its major issues — but local leaders are still frustrated with how the agency is operating.
There are looming and significant changes for the agency, as Gov. Josh Green last month signed a bill that reduces HTA's board to an advisory body.
He's also reportedly planning on asking all the members of the board to resign so that a new group can oversee the restructured agency, though officials say none of the board members have resigned yet.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers on Monday grilled HTA for its lack of progress to improve the state's tourism industry, its handling of tourism-related contracts and internal operations.
HTA is short-staffed, and a recent state audit found that the agency's tourism management plans have been poorly executed.
The agency, for several years, has been under criticism as the public has continued to complain about overtourism in the state.
At one point, Sen. Lynn DeCoite, who chairs the Senate's Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, said, “ I think that's our challenge as we gear up for 2026 and how we legislate going forward, because we gotta build back the public trust and … clearly we have a problem. Houston, we have a problem, and how do we fix it?”
HTA gets about $60 million for its tourism management efforts, but lawmakers referred to the agency at this point as a “middleman” and questioned if it's even a necessary agency, since so much of its work is delegated to contractors.
Interim HTA President and CEO Caroline Anderson said the agency is in the middle of a 90-day plan that started in April to improve the agency and address issues.
They include improving communication within HTA, reducing its unpaid invoices, identifying issues with contracts, filling vacant positions, and improving the efficiency of HTA’s board.
HTA Board Chair Todd Apo says the agency intends to be in a better position to discuss its future during the next legislative session.
“I'm willing to put in the time through this year so that by the time we get to January and back when all of you're in session, that we are at a stronger point to be able to talk about what has happened over these six months and where we see it going forward. And that’s going to be a discussion we’re all going to need to have with the Legislature, the public, the governor's office in order to decide how we move forward with HTA,” Apo said.
