travel

It’s been nearly six months since Hawaii started its “Safe Travels” program, which now allows visitors on most islands to skip quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test. Other locations are more cautious with entry requirements, but some are considering easing certain restrictions. And that includes Thailand.

Tourists are still trickling into Hawaii in relatively small numbers under the Safe Travels Program. That allows visitors with a negative Covid test to bypass quarantine. But another location in the Pacific is rampin gup a different kind of visitor program.

Hawaii is a week away from welcoming tourists who undergo pre-travel testing. And the race is on to develop faster ways to reliably detect the coronavirus. Local company Oceanit has been working on a rapid test using saliva, and trials are underway for other tests.

We’re now less than two weeks away from the date when Hawaii will open the door to visitors a bit wider. As the state continues to refine the points of pre-travel testing, other destinations are finding some complications when it comes to visitors.

Airlines are making plans to increase their flights to Hawaii as pre-travel COVID testing begins next month. Many people are still hesitant to get on an airplane, but in parts of the Asia Pacific, a number of carriers are offering flights that don’t go anywhere.

Any talk about lifting travel quarantines in Hawaii starts with neighbor island travel. But more work is planned before opening the gates to immediate entry to out of state visitors. Elsewhere in the Asia Pacific, a similar way of thinking is leading to consideration of what some are calling “travel bubbles.”

As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, Americans returning to the U.S. were entering the country without any health screening.

New measures being adopted this week across Hawai’i to fight the spread of the coronavirus. In some parts of the Asia Pacific, steps are being taken that are even more severe when it comes to visitors.

The lunar New Year is less than a week away. The year of the pig officially gets underway next Tuesday. But for millions of people in Asia, the traveling starts much sooner.

  Traveling anytime soon? Learn some simple tips and tricks to stay healthy and enjoy your adventures. Next time on The Body Show, Dr. Kathy Kozak will talk with a travel expert about medications to bring, immunizations, and more.

The Lunar New Year officially arrives a week from Friday on February 16th. But in China, travel for the holiday period is already underway—along with seasonal complications. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

There is a growing list of what you can and cannot bring on the airplane-- particularly when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables that may bring some unexpected hitchhikers.

Culture and commerce are often seen as forces in conflict. But here in Hawaiʻi, the culture is one of the driving forces of the state’s largest commercial sector – tourism. This week, HPR takes a closer look at tourism as part of our series - Travelling Money: Managing Hawai’i’s Tourism Future.  HPR reporter Ku’uwehi Hiraishi looks at the role of Hawaiian culture in the future of tourism.

Two hundred forty five crewmembers participated onboard the Hōkūle‘a in the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, but many thousands more participated from land, following the voyage online.  Case in point, Vince Farrant, a recent Kamehameha School graduate, who followed the canoe’s progress and met many crewmembers through a Celestial Navigation class at Kamehameha  School.  In HPR's Noe Tanigawa's  interview, he reflects on the significance of this voyage for new generations. 

Tourism is enjoying another strong year in Hawai‘i. The most recent figures show visitor arrivals so far in 2016 are up by more than 2.5 percent from a year ago, while visitor spending is up nearly 4 percent. While the performance is solid, it’s nowhere near what’s going on in Japan. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

Honolulu’s rail project is still about three years away from its opening ride, as long as construction stays on schedule. Across the Pacific, the timeline of an even more ambitious rail project has just been pushed back. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

When it comes to driving, when does age become a safety factor? It’s a complicated issue, and in Malaysia, it’s a topic that’s currently under debate. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

A popular car service is expanding its operation to Maui.

Uber announced and expansion of its Uber X and high end Uber Black service to Maui. The company offers personal car service that’s summoned through a mobile app.  You bring out your phone, summon a car, and ride to your destination. Billing is handled directly through a credit card attached to the app so there is no cash transaction.

  According to the latest tourism figures, about 25,000 visitors came to Hawai‘i from Australia in June. While Hawai‘i remains a popular destination for Australians, some of their travel choices may soon face restrictions. HPR’s Bill Dorman explains in today’s Asia Minute.

  Most of Hawaii’s visitors still come from the United States, but a growing number are visiting from other countries. International travel can bring certain challenges, and sometimes diplomats are asked to help. And at least in the case of Singapore, sometimes those requests can be unusual. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

The Federal Government has a program that provides funding for airline service for underserved communities. On Hawaii Island, the Waimea-Kohala Airport is one of those covered by the program. Starting this Saturday, air service will be up and running. From the Big Island, HPR's Sherry Bracken tells us more.

Google Street View is taking their cameras off the beaten path.

The Silicon Valley tech company is partnering with Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau, to showcase some of Hawaii’s hiking trails that are only accessible on foot.

HPR’s Molly Solomon was there for the announcement and has this report.