Hawaii pushes tourism agency to better manage visitor hordes

HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers ended their 2023 legislative session on Thursday without allocating money for the tourism agency that manages the state’s biggest industry and employer.

But legislators, the governor and the lieutenant governor agreed to make some money available to the Hawaii Tourism Authority as the agency transitions from its traditional work advertising Hawaii to managing tourism so it doesn’t overwhelm local residents.

Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, said in a statement that the state needs to figure out “how we can shift this agency from its focus of marketing tourism to more strategically looking at destination management that would attract and educate responsible visitors.”

Under the agreement, the Hawaii Tourism Authority will have to request funds from the state Department of Budget and Finance. Lawmakers and Green’s administration will vet the requests.

“We’re not just going to give them, you know, X dollar amount and say good luck, call it a day,” Rep. Sean Quinlan, the chair of the House Tourism Committee and a Democrat, told reporters.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority was founded in 1998.

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In recent years, as the number of annual tourists hit a record 10 million in 2019 and resident complaints about excess tourism have grown, the agency has also been charged with managing travelers upon their arrival. The aim is to alleviate the effects of too much tourism by better handling the hordes that have clogged some hiking trails, beaches and country roads like the Hana Highway.

Some lawmakers have been unsatisfied with the agency’s work on tourism and destination management.

“I look forward to working with them, but at the same time making sure that the needs of the community and responsible tourism is addressed,” Sen. Lynn DeCoite, the Democratic chair of the Senate’s tourism committee, said about the new funding mechanism.

Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, told a news conference that the House and Senate both want accountability for the agency’s spending.

“They will have to show the two chairs that there is a reason why they want the money and what they’re going to use it for,” said Keith-Agaran, a Democrat. “It’s not going to be a blank check to them.”

The funds for the Hawaii Tourism Authority will come from the $200 million lawmakers set aside to address a variety of deferred maintenance projects, said Rep. Kyle Yamashita, the Democratic chair of the House Finance Committee. The governor will have flexibility in how he chooses to spend this part of the budget, Yamashita said.

John De Fries, the agency’s CEO, said in a statement released by the governor’s office that the funding approach will allow his organization to continue its important work in destination management and visitor education.

“We understand that our spending will be more scrutinized, and we recognize that we have a lot of work ahead,” De Fries said. “We are confident that we can find a way to balance the various needs of the people we serve.”

In January, the governor requested $75 million for the agency in the upcoming fiscal year ending June 2024 and $60 million for the following fiscal year.