tourism

It will be at least another month until Hawaii hosts any out of state visitors who don’t go through a two-week quarantine. In the Asia Pacific, some locations are slowly opening to visitors, but generally not from overseas.

While the entire state of Hawaii has suffered from the shutdown of tourism, one area has been hit the hardest.  

As Hawaii moves closer to a gradual re-opening of tourism, other visitor destinations are doing the same. One of the latest to announce plans is the Indonesian island that's the country's most popular with visitors.

In less than four weeks, Hawaii will be open to travelers who can prove they’ve recently tested negative for the coronavirus. Other tourist spots around the world are considering the timing and other logistics of re-opening. And that includes a beach destination in Thailand that’s popular with international tourists.

Government officials in Hawaii and many other travel destinations are trying to figure out how to safely encourage tourism. In southeast Asia, the short-term answer is closer to home.

Despite decades of effort, state and local government in Hawaii have had little success in fostering diversification of the islands' tourism-centric economy. The COVID-19 pandemic recession has once again generated calls for standing up new industries and expanding existing ones that do not include tourism.

This series explores what some of those industries of the future might be and what local leaders can do to bringa about their growth.

Hawaii’s main industry, tourism and hospitality, has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers have been calling for economic diversification for decades, but single-single industry dominance has been the norm for centuries.

As businesses reopen on Hawaiʻi Island, unemployed hotel workers are waiting for their chance to get back to work. Several hotels are already taking reservations beginning July 1, and that has some in the industry cautiously optimistic.

Economists say the state’s economic situation will remain dire without tourism, but residents are fed up with overcrowding by visitors. Experts say now is the time to reorient Hawaii’s visitor industry to a more sustainable path.

Hawaii’s tourism figures for 2019 have not yet been released, but they have for Japan. It’s a record number, but it also shows some changes in visitor arrivals.

New Year’s celebrations in Hong Kong will be a bit more subdued than usual this year. A large show of fireworks over the harbor was canceled this week, because police say they are concerned about crowd safety. And if trends continue, there will be many fewer visitors.

Hawai‘i’s green energy goals are among the most ambitious in the nation, and other states are closely watching our progress. Hawai‘i’s stated goal is 100 percent renewable energy generation by 2045, an ambitious target that requires tackling the problem of airline fuel. Nearly a third of the petroleum consumed in Hawai‘i is for jet fuel. In this edition of Planet808, HPR visits this past week’s Hawai‘i Aviation and Climate Action Summit.

Fewer Chinese visitors are coming to Hawaii, according to the latest figures from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. That matches a broader trend for the United States.

Hawaii tourism figures will soon be out for the month of September. So far this year, visitors have been increasing from the United States and dropping from the Asia Pacific. Part of that trend relates to slowing economies overseas. But within Asia, other tourism figures are being hit by political developments.

Late August is a popular time for vacation in many parts of the world, and a busy period for travelers to Hawaii. That’s not the case in Thailand, but this week the country’s top tourism official scaled back expectations for the rest of the year.

Hawaiʻi is expected to see its 10 millionth visitor this year. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority says in the first half of 2019, tourist arrivals were up by 4 percent even while visitor spending fell. Communities statewide are feeling the growing presence of tourists -- at local beaches and on the roads. Now, University of Hawaii researchers are asking how precisely are visitors affecting local neighborhoods – like those in Windward Oahu.

For many people, August is a time for vacation and for travel. But for many residents of China, those travel options have been reduced effective today.

eSports is a billion dollar industry, and growing. Cities around the world are holding eSports tournaments, hoping to attract younger visitors and become major destinations for the industry. But what would it take for Hawaii to become a player in eSports?

A panel of Big Island business leaders recently talked about challenges and transitions across multiple industries. One of the key sectors: the hospitality business.

The highway beyond Hanalei on Kauaʻi’s North Shore is officially open to the public today. Kūhiō Highway has been closed for more than fourteen months to complete repairs following last year’s massive rain and flooding. While some residents are glad the roadway is open, others are bracing for the influx of visitors.

Hawaii is not the only set of islands dealing with changing expectations for the tourism industry. This week, New Zealand has recalibrated its goals for visitors, and their impact on the economy and the environment.