State must develop new tourism strategy

"State must develop new tourism strategy"

You mean like making average hotel rooms afordable rather than having them cost a weeks wages a night for the average visitor? What a concept.

I'm sorry, but I can't really agree with the article.
What we need is to lower the price of oil and stop the speculations.

No government agency will do a thing when their pension funds are directly related to oil speculation.

The higher the gas prices the higher the taxes also.

If not then no one can come to Hawaii or live in Hawaii except the very very rich.

Hawaii needs a paradigm shift ...

da tourist 'industry'...

stay turning you people into ...

indentured servants ...

and da gov't ...

auwe ....

I've never been able to understand the ingratitude of people in Hawaii thinking that the war on terror (in Afghanistan and Iraq) "did not greatly affect their (tourism) business," when if it wasn't for the definitive response against terrorism to ensure that "no more American lives would be lost on American soil," saved Hawaii after 9/11/01.

Without that strong response, Hawaii would have lost everything -- just as it assuredly was a ghost town for a week after those attacks on 9/11, and many thought after nearly a decade of slow-death in Paradise, that was surely the end -- because the Carter years and Clinton responses, had assured them that nothing decisive could be done -- and the terrorists were free to torment the freedom-loving peoples of the world without even so much as a rebuke, because that would offend their sensibilities.

Hawaii is very vulnerable in that way and everybody realized that, but went into denial in order not to fully appreciate that reality.

If there is another incident that threatens the confidence to travel as freely as people have that has in fact brought on the present fuel consumption crisis, it is a certain death without the kind of overwhelming and unmistakable intent and resolve of President Bush to save you again.

It's about time you people acknowledged that rightly.

Mike Hu wrote:

I've never been able to understand .... It's about time you people acknowledged that rightly.

ain't no big ting bradda ...

main ting hang loose ...

Hawaii needs to use this opportunity to only see how they can improve on its tourism industry but at the same time, they must use their money wisely to see how to go about attracting other industry that can contribute revenues to the state. They need to attract industries that want to do business in Hawaii and give them an incentive and at the same time, stipulate to these possible new industries that all the incentives will only be granted for a long term investment in the islands. Hawaii cannot survive adequately if they only concentrate on tourism as their main source of revenues. Companies and industries are out there, they just need to hear from the state as to what they would give in return. Look at Las Vegas as it is today - they are suffering big time as well. I just received an offer in my e mail from the MGM telling me they will give back $300 towards travel cost for coming to stay with them!!!! I have also received free room offers for the month of July and August from big name hotels in Las Vegas if I spend two days there - and it includes weekend as well!!! Every state that deals in tourism as a source of revenue is hurting so the wise decision will be to include other source of revenues for those states - Hawaii included.

Mike Hu wrote:

I've never been able to understand the ingratitude of people ...

Cuz many people are sick and tired of the god-damn military stomping on Hawaiian land and that we wish that there was something other than tourism to rely on...That's why...If you think the terrorists are the only ones up to no good you better think twice cuz...there's a reason why that Bush guy uses EXCUSES like "defend freedom" and "fight terror" in Iraq but not in other places...have you ever wondered why some people hate the US so much? Guess what? It's not because of us as people but US as a government and military, and if you don't know why you best turn off that Fox and CNN and start reading my friend.

Trouble is, Hawaii has a very tired product. It is not just the bad Bush economy.

Aint gonna get any better. The Tour Industry went on the down slope prior to 9/11. It started after the gulf was. At one time..(In the 80's) if you walked in Waikiki.. at any given time.. you would bump into someone.If you were to go down to the North Shore Market Place.. there was no place to park your car. Or just to go to the beach.. you would have to really look hard for a nice spot. At that time the industry was booming big time. As the years went by, there were more "War's" going on. The industry started declinning. Now, it is stagered. It won't get any better over hear or anywhere in the U.S., If any state depands on Tourist. I believe this state is at fault for that to a certain degree. The HVB knew this was happenning back then. They never took steps to prevent this. Now.. they ain't much any on us can do about it. It's gonna stay stagered or possibly get worse. They had word of concentrating on local industry's. But they did'nt.. They took from the local industry's so they could better the tour industry's.. now look.. with the oil and gas issue happenning. Aint no way it's gonna get better. Sad, but very true. It was a lovely adventure to work for the Tour Industry at that time.(15 yrs.) Like myself and other "Ex-Tour Industry" workers. We left to find better jobs in different industry's just to feed our families. I still have old friends that work in Hotels still.. and they are worried.. cus of Lay-offs. They got only less then 3 yrs to go until they get the ret. package. Yet, within those years, things can happen, and they are at risk at loosing everything they worked for. I am so glad I am not in that place. Like I mentioned before, this state needs to combine other industry's with the tour side, cus it aint gonna get anybetter. It's not only this state, it's everystate. Hell, this state never listen's to the people. Including myself... Good Luck and Best Wish's to all of you that are struggling to live in this supposed Aloha State.

As that useless President Carter once said "There is a malaise in our country"....that means an overall hypnotic feeling of negativity and pessimism. The local economy is supported largely by the Houli's from the mainland. Yes some are rich! but the rich spend more money, more spent money means more taxes for the people of Hawaii. We mainlanders who love Hawaii and have supported you for 49 years are tired of your constant complaining.... It's because you can't think for yourselves and must rely on the Socialist Democrats to tell you that things are bad....There bad because you pray that they will be bad....guess what you often get what you pray for....SO SHUT UP AND SMILE AND STOP COMPLAINING.

There are off beach hotels from 65 to 99 in Waikiki. But you want to stay at the Halekulani and because you can't afford it you complain and would like to drive the people who can afford it away....Well keep it up and you just may do that....and there will go the local economy of Hawaii.

Hadley

The Bush economy is very bad but tourism is done for anyway.

Return the aina and viva Hawaii!

Tourism? LMAO! Why would People want to come to Hawai'i when Hawai'i is starting to look more and more like the Mainland? With all the developers building their concrete jungles, and traffic being up the ying yangs who the heck would want to spend their vacation in Hawai'i? PLUS, it's so damn expensive. The Tourists get more for their dollar traveling away from Hawai'i. Then you have the ignorant idiots who, for some reason, feel that they are doing the People of Hawai'i a favor by comitting crimes against Tourists.

So in other words, Hawai'i, over all, has lost its Aloha towards the outside visitors. Hell, it's even lost it within the State itself. Boost Tourism, my okol'e. Hawai'i should STOP DEPENDING ON TOURISM. Tourism is not the only source for revenue production.

wait a minute.

you folks only pay me 250k per year. what do you expect from me? i already told donna kim that i want a few more million. you want tourism to increase? we need to buy the plane tickets for them. you can't expect the hotel industry to offer reduced rooms. that would hurt their profit and they sit on my board.

"Hawaii's tourism plummeted in the months following 9/11..."

Temporarily plummeted, or declined and has still not recovered? This is not clear writing.

Number 1. Lower the rates of hotel rooms.
Number 2. Restaurants charge too much, must have larger portions. Extra value meals.
Number 3. Gasoline is at an all time high. Coupons for tourist are welcomed.
Number 4. Spead the aloha spirit,

This article is not well-researched.

At $200/barrel oil, Hawaii is pau.

I already read in a Hollywood trade mag that there is a deal in the works for a "post-apocolyptic" screenplay about life in post-air travel Hawaii, where there are only expensive charter flights, no more cruise ships, private boaters are paid exorbitant fees to carry messages to loved one's on the mainland....locals are killing sea turtles for food...

Oh wait a minute no--that's not the screenplay--that's what I read in the local news!

Just wait til spam is $20/can.

Why can't people see the writing on the wall? Tourism is the wrong direction for Hawaii. Dependence on tourism "the new slavery" is making local people have to work several jobs to pay for their housing that is being bought up by absentee slumlords who are using it for illegal vacation rentals that the State does nothing to stop. The result is overpriced housing and extensive homelessness. For industry to develop there must be affordable housing. Turn the hotels into condominiums and stop promoting the place. Lolo Gecko had it right ... "Hawaii needs a paradigm shift".

I agree that Hawaii has lost some of it's Aloha compared to 35 years ago when I first set foot there, and that is a big problem. I don't understand why people travel to Hawaii just to eat at the Cheese Cake Factory in Waikiki! Eat some local dishes! You can eat at the old stand by eateries when you get home.

Jeez, whatever happened to the Kodak Hula Show? Hawaii needs locals in costume roaming Waikiki so tourists can have memories when they return home.

Bring back ol' Hawaii!