Keep Hawaii Hawii

[easyrider]

A BILL being discussed to make all visitors to Hawaii, pledge to Keep Hawaii Hawaii, might actually cost visitors a fee to enter Hawaii is what this looks like. How much , IDK, but it will likely add up. I can see everything a tourist use go up. Airfare, taxi, rental car, timeshare and who knows.

Would this stop me from going to Hawaii? No. Will I complain about it ? Seems I already am, lol.

Bill

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/...MP2IzX58Kiy0eAW4M5AnTSAcD0Tm4JQ4bJvtfVgXfIjJ8

 

[pedro47]

Will this stop or reduce the number of tourist coming to Hawaii? Only time and money loss from Tourism to the Economy will be the final factor. IMO.

 

[easyrider]

I can see us now, getting off the airplane in Kahului, and before leaving the airplane, reciting some sort of odd "Pledge" to " Keep Hawaii Hawaii". I can already hear the Hawaian music in the background as the cash leaves my pocket while I smile and say "whatever".

Bill

 

[PamMo]

I was approached by a random woman in Kalakapaki Beach Hut in Kauai (next to Marriott's Kauai Beach Club in Lihue) over the summer, and she proceeded to lecture me about my negative impact on Kauai as a visitor to the island. She told me that I should tip the counter service an amount equal to the cost of our meals, to make up for the damage tourists do to the island. Did I know how much I was hurting locals by vacationing on the island? She stood about 12"away from me, and every step I took to the side was met with a side step to block me from moving to my table with my grandchildren. It was extremely uncomfortable, to put it mildly. When I was finally able to extricate myself (and my kids) to our table upstairs, she pounced on other patrons. As much as I love Kauai (my favorite Hawaiian island), if I had many more experiences like that, I would choose to go elsewhere.

 

[turkel]

I was approached by a random woman in Kalakapaki Beach Hut in Kauai (next to Marriott's Kauai Beach Club in Lihue) over the summer, and she proceeded to lecture me about my negative impact on Kauai as a visitor to the island. She told me that I should tip the counter service an amount equal to the cost of our meals, to make up for the damage tourists do to the island. Did I know how much I was hurting locals by vacationing on the island? She stood about 12"away from me, and every step I took to the side was met with a side step to block me from moving to my table with my grandchildren. It was extremely uncomfortable, to put it mildly. When I was finally able to extricate myself (and my kids) to our table upstairs, she pounced on other patrons. As much as I love Kauai (my favorite Hawaiian island), if I had many more experiences like that, I would choose to go elsewhere.

That’s crazy! I understand wanting to keep Hawaii, Hawaii but tourism brings $$.

In the Caribbean after the hurricanes they are begging for the tourist to return. I wonder if this is a case of be careful what you ask for!

 

[Tamaradarann]

I was approached by a random woman in Kalakapaki Beach Hut in Kauai (next to Marriott's Kauai Beach Club in Lihue) over the summer, and she proceeded to lecture me about my negative impact on Kauai as a visitor to the island. She told me that I should tip the counter service an amount equal to the cost of our meals, to make up for the damage tourists do to the island. Did I know how much I was hurting locals by vacationing on the island? She stood about 12"away from me, and every step I took to the side was met with a side step to block me from moving to my table with my grandchildren. It was extremely uncomfortable, to put it mildly. When I was finally able to extricate myself (and my kids) to our table upstairs, she pounced on other patrons. As much as I love Kauai (my favorite Hawaiian island), if I had many more experiences like that, I would choose to go elsewhere.

This almost seems like a case of being the victim of someone who does not have both feet on the ground to say it nicely without making a diagnosis without credentials. Since we spend so much time in Honolulu we see this type of thing all the time and we don't even concern ourselves with it at all. I don't know exactly what is expected of the keep Hawaii Hawaii campaign but I am sure it does not include tipping at 100%. I do believe it is important to learn about the Hawaiian culture and the History of the United States' part in the overthrow of the Monarch and the Annex of Hawaii. There is a movement among Native Hawaiians which includes a reinstatement of the Monarch and return of Hawaiian Land to Native Hawaiians which some have been advocating for some time. While the history has much documentation the solution that is desired by some native Hawaiians makes the 100% tipping request seem minor and ordinary!

 

[NTP66]

I think everyone else should immediately stop going to Maui......

 

[Tamaradarann]

I think everyone else should immediately stop going to Maui......

That sounds like you like to go to Maui and you would like others to stop going to Maui because of the keep Hawaii Hawaii campaign so you could book your timeshare weeks easily whenever you want to go!!!

That could be said about my statements: "If you need or want a car on vacation don't stay in Honolulu go to another Hawaiian Island. They are all different and beautiful. Why deal with the traffic and parking cost in Honolulu". However, my statement has a lot of truth to it and if my husband needed or wanted a car on our long vacations we certainly wouldn't be spending it in Honolulu.

 

[NTP66]

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Shrug. Bad publicity, plus it would get shot down in the US Courts, six ways to Sunday. Rice vs Cayetano is a settled SCOTUS ruling, even if I don't agree with the logic.

But if Hawaii wants to kill "the goose that lays the golden eggs", I hear that Cabo is nice in the winter. . .

 

[Tamaradarann]

Shrug. Bad publicity, plus it would get shot down in the US Courts, six ways to Sunday. Rice vs Cayetano is a settled SCOTUS ruling, even if I don't agree with the logic.

But if Hawaii wants to kill "the goose that lays the golden eggs", I hear that Cabo is nice in the winter. . .

Hawaii has already implemented and raised the TAT on timeshares a number of times. No other state in the US has such a tax. The Hotel and rent a car tax is some of highest in the nation. Tourists still come in droves, and more come each year. So in general who pays the TAT, Hotel, Rent a Car tax. Tourists. The airfare tax would be one that would effect Hawaiian Residents as well as tourists.

Since we just bought a condo in Waikiki I guess any of the contemplated increases will not be our problem but we can go there to Hawaii and enjoy every year, or maybe not come back to the Continental United States at all.

 

[NTP66]

...or maybe not come back to the Continental United States at all.

That's our goal. Just have to wait for our daughter to go to college...

 

[easyrider]

I was approached by a random woman in Kalakapaki Beach Hut in Kauai (next to Marriott's Kauai Beach Club in Lihue) over the summer, and she proceeded to lecture me about my negative impact on Kauai as a visitor to the island. She told me that I should tip the counter service an amount equal to the cost of our meals, to make up for the damage tourists do to the island. Did I know how much I was hurting locals by vacationing on the island? She stood about 12"away from me, and every step I took to the side was met with a side step to block me from moving to my table with my grandchildren. It was extremely uncomfortable, to put it mildly. When I was finally able to extricate myself (and my kids) to our table upstairs, she pounced on other patrons. As much as I love Kauai (my favorite Hawaiian island), if I had many more experiences like that, I would choose to go elsewhere.

Lihue has a decent population of locals with some of them hanging out in Nawilliwilli Park getting their buzz on. Like many people with a buzz on these few people can be confrontational for no apparent reason. I guess my point is these few people don't represent the local population. Even so, I get what you are saying. I had a local upset that I had asked for directions at the park. One out of 1000 odds, imo.

Bill

 

[PamMo]

Yes, fortunately, she was an exception to the rule of our experiences in Hawaii.

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

For what it's worth, KAPA FM (Big Island) has cut it's feed to the mainland a few days ago. (KINE FM in Honolulu cut theirs a few months ago).

 

[klpca]

I have family on the BI and I assure you that the negative vibes that you feel are very real. I had an uncomfortable run in with a guy and finally had to ask him if he knew my uncle to get him to back off, but it has put me off of visiting. We will be taking most of our tourist $$ to other places that don't resent us as visitors. Btw, I understand why they are unhappy but they need to complain to their representatives to get other industry on the island and stop being so reliant on tourism.

 

[Luanne]

I have family on the BI and I assure you that the negative vibes that you feel are very real. I had an uncomfortable run in with a guy and finally had to ask him if he knew my uncle to get him to back off, but it has put me off of visiting. We will be taking most of our tourist $$ to other places that don't resent us as visitors. Btw, I understand why they are unhappy but they need to complain to their representatives to get other industry on the island and stop being so reliant on tourism.

This is so sad. What happened to the spirit of "Aloha"? I can understand why we may not be welcome in some other countries, but in parts of our own country? Hawaii is someplace I've always felt safe, and welcome, visiting. I will say that so far we have not encountered any negativity when we have been there.

 

[klpca]

This is so sad. What happened to the spirit of "Aloha"? I can understand why we may not be welcome in some other countries, but in parts of our own country? Hawaii is someplace I've always felt safe, and welcome, visiting. I will say that so far we have not encountered any negativity when we have been there.

It is sad. I used to love going but to me, things have changed. Of course because of my heritage, I am respectful. But I don't look or sound Hawaiian so I don't pass as easily as others. I think that there's a lot of exclusivity issues in many cultures today, Hawaii is no different. I think that the aloha spirit is still there but the bad apples are a lot more vocal today. My bad run in was at a Heiau on the BI. I was with friends, explaining what it was, why it was there etc and a local guy came up and started yelling at us to leave. He honestly acted like it was *his* heiau. I've been all over the world and visited culturally sensitive places. I've never been yelled at before. Plus I am Hawaiian too, at least in bloodline (not culturally as I was born and raised in CA) and I knew that I had as much right to be there as he did. He wouldn't back off though even though we decided to leave - we walked back to the car and he followed us and kept ranting. It was ridiculous. Finally I asked him if he knew my uncle - an elder on the island - and that shut him up. I really didn't want to have to do that but I was annoyed at being followed. At the end I smoothed things over with the guy who was frustrated at insensitive tourists and I didn't tell my uncle for three years (lol) because I didn't go to Hawaii to cause problems for anyone but I started looking at things differently after that. I've noticed a lot more aggressive driving by locals (big lifted trucks), and in Sept I saw lots of upside down Hawaiian flags being flown (Mauna Kea issue). I don't want to be immersed in another controversy while I am on vacation, so we're taking a break for awhile.
I get that tourism is taking a toll in many ways so I am sympathetic but I don't know what we can do to fix it for them.

 

[jestme]

When they implemented the TAT, I wrote to the then governer and explained to them that besides the name, Hawaii has fallen way behind most other exotic travel places. In general, they have 50-60 year old hotels, super high priced food, few full service resorts, none that offer "all inclusive" that the Carribean, Mexico, and a large number of other travel destinations have and have had for 20 years. In addition, it is a massively long flight, through many time zones for a large number of their guests. (Japan, East coast US, etc. ) I received nothing back for my efforts to show them the short term thinking of TAT that they eventually adopted.
Don't get me wrong, I love Hawaii, but if I don't feel wanted there, it isn't MY "Spirit of Aloha" that is missing, it would be theirs. I already find that the $50 for two drinks for two at lunch is somewhat ludicrous, without food. It doesn't take a mathematitian to figure out the total cost of a vacation. There are far more travel locations now that have a much better value per dollar than there were 50 years ago. Ask Florida where their tourism industry would be without Disney. I don't see many people flocking to Miami for vacation like they did in the 60's. Hawaii still depends on "It's Hawaii" to bring tourism back. That will not last forever.
Japan is a long flight, and HGVC now has many closer locations the Japanese can visit without that long flight and high meal costs in Hawaii, let alone the cultural differences (tips, language, etc. )
Repeat visitors is the long term life blood of any tourist destination. Owners of timeshares in Hawaii make owners there want to return, but apparently, in Hawaii, they are discouraged, overtaxed, and their growth are stunted, especially on Maui.
If it wasn't for"it's Hawaii", there isn't much for their tourist board to draw vacationer to. They have nothing else to compete with, and they are trying to compete with 50 year old hotel products, high prices, and very long flights into a market that is new, current, resort focussed (not "resort fee" focussed), lots of new things to do, the people can afford, and are also excited to go to.

If you want to keep Hawaii "Hawaii" with no tourism, get used to eating pineapples because there is no other industry. Oh, wait. There are no more pineapple plantations there....

 

[NTP66]

I’ve never had a bad experience with locals in Maui, but even if I did, choosing Mexico or the Caribbean would never cross my mind. They’re both bland in comparison to me. A few bad apples aren’t going to sway me, and as for prices, whatever. If I wanted to vacation somewhere cheap I wouldn’t have chosen Hawai’i in the first place.

 

[easyrider]

Hawaii already has the ninth worse economy in the USA even with a very low unemployment rate. Maybe getting rid of the low paying tourist jobs would be better than keeping them.

Bill

https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific...hawaiis-state-economy-among-the-worst-in.html

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

But replace them with what? The economic "curse" of Hawaii is the large capital price inflows from outside the area. They drive up the costs without increasing the wage base. This isn't just a Hawaii problem, look at the Bay Area.

I have yet to figure out a good answer. . . .

 

[easyrider]

But replace them with what? The economic "curse" of Hawaii is the large capital price inflows from outside the area. They drive up the costs without increasing the wage base. This isn't just a Hawaii problem, look at the Bay Area.

I have yet to figure out a good answer. . . .

I think they want to replace the low paying tourism jobs with high paying tourism jobs. After all, tourism is the largest segment of Hawaii's economy.

Bill

 

[controller1]

When the tourists leave the islands so will the taxpayer-financed services Hawaiians have come to enjoy.

 

[JIMinNC]

I already find that the $50 for two drinks for two at lunch is somewhat ludicrous, without food.

IMHO, this isn't too far out of line with what we've experienced in other mainland resort areas. If I recall correctly, our drinks last week in Palm Desert averaged $11-$12 per drink (except for specials) and when we've had drinks at a bar in Hilton Head, $11-$12 was also fairly typical. So two drinks each for two people for $50 seems not that far out of line with other popular resort areas. In fact, two small lunch salads plus a glass of wine for each of us last week at a winery in Temecula, California was $78. I've never found Hawaii prices to be all that far out of line with other similar tourism spots. All tourism-oriented areas charge above average prices for things tourists like to do. That is not a uniquely Hawaiian thing.