The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority was shaken to its core during the legislative session as it narrowly avoided being shut down and replaced by an office under the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Gov. Josh Green has nominated former state Rep. James "Jimmy" Tokioka to lead DBEDT. Tokioka has a background in hospitality and hopes he can help navigate through the rough waters. He shared his thoughts about how Hawaiʻi can be smarter about tourism.
This interview aired on The Conversation on May 19, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
