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Whtviper1, are your positions shifting with time ? It seems just a few years ago you were advocating for more tourists and no limits, as well as turning Honolulu into Hong Kong.
I have long felt there were too many tourists for such a small island chain. But I don’t think a fee to use public spaces will have any impact on reducing visitor numbers. It just seems like a petty $$ grab. And who wants to carry a pass down to the beach. Bring it into the water or leave it on the beach to be stolen.
If the average room is $600/night, using your number, then a tourist visiting for 7 nights pays about $750 in tax just on the room. Much more when adding the GET on food, cars, parking, etc. I feel the tourist already contributes a far greater amount to the state tax base in relationship to their time & use, than most realize.
Anyway, I do feel fewer tourists would be better. But that is hard to manage. I also think when the world opens back up for easy travel, we’ll see a shift in the tourist mix on Oahu with a return to higher % From Japan and a lower % from the mainland. And I feel the Japanese tourists by and large are less likely to go out exploring “hidden Gems” and non-tourist places than young mainland tourists. And more often go as part of organized tours. So the general impact may be a bit lower than it is right now. But this is just my speculation.
I continue to struggle with my own considerations on how much Hawaii, if at all, remains part of my future. Really enjoy and value my Oahu military retirement venues. And, while the state population declining slightly / remaining approximately static suits me fine, the ever increasing tourism pressures are past the point of being comfortable. Tourism is critically important, fine, and even fun to interact with … to a point … and retired military can step out of the chaos a good bit. Still, extended stays like I used to enjoy (4, 5, 6 months sometimes) can really wear on me at times.
Maybe time to start exploring head-hunter culture in New Guinea …
Yet another example of tourism pressures raising restrictive responses … this in California where new layers of reservations and parking permits are being added on top of the already existing state park use fees:
Whtviper1, are your positions shifting with time ? It seems just a few years ago you were advocating for more tourists and no limits, as well as turning Honolulu into Hong Kong.
I still have the position that it was a travesty to have the height limits in Honolulu - it truly is a godawful skyline with no variety and quite frankly at this point not much can be done. A Hong Kong skyline from downtown to Waikiki could have been a stunner just as it is in Hong Kong or Shanghai. The Chinese really know how to build out cities.
While I don't have much of a position on tourists numbers - although it should be said, lower tourist numbers will mean lower jobs and impacts to business - all I'm saying if one is in the camp of we need less tourists - the only realistic path is higher taxes and fees (way way higher than they are today) to simply deter people from coming - and I've yet to see an alternative way to get lower tourists numbers while maintaining revenue. If we are going to have lower tourism numbers on Oahu - I can see a beneficial impact on dumping some of the eyesores along the Kuhio Ave corridor as I see the lower end hotels being impacted the most.
The pandemic - inflation - higher gas have provided a temporary reprieve - which will end.
I still have the position that it was a travesty to have the height limits in Honolulu - it truly is a godawful skyline with no variety and quite frankly at this point not much can be done. A Hong Kong skyline from downtown to Waikiki could have been a stunner just as it is in Hong Kong or Shanghai. The Chinese really know how to build out cities.
While I don't have much of a position on tourists numbers - although it should be said, lower tourist numbers will mean lower jobs and impacts to business - all I'm saying if one is in the camp of we need less tourists - the only realistic path is higher taxes and fees (way way higher than they are today) to simply deter people from coming - and I've yet to see an alternative way to get lower tourists numbers while maintaining revenue. If we are going to have lower tourism numbers on Oahu - I can see a beneficial impact on dumping some of the eyesores along the Kuhio Ave corridor as I see the lower end hotels being impacted the most.
The pandemic - inflation - higher gas have provided a temporary reprieve - which will end.
Meanwhile, the Red Hill contamination of water supply has put a clamp on any development in Honolulu.
Not sure what you (and many others) find “attractive / stunning” about a “Hong Kong skyline” or what you’d find advantageous about completely ruining what’s left of Oahu / Hawaii by it becoming a termite mound of activity.
Meanwhile, the Red Hill contamination of water supply has put a clamp on any development in Honolulu.
Not sure what you (and many others) find “attractive / stunning” about a “Hong Kong skyline” or what you’d find advantageous about completely ruining what’s left of Oahu / Hawaii by it becoming a termite mound of activity.
Not much left to develop anyway - and the population isn't growing.
Have you been to Hong Kong - or recently looked at the Honolulu skyline? I'd put the Honolulu skyline at one of the worst in the US - and certainly doesn't compete with others worldwide.
Not much left to develop anyway - and the population isn't growing.
Have you been to Hong Kong - or recently looked at the Honolulu skyline? I'd put the Honolulu skyline at one of the worst in the US - and certainly doesn't compete with others worldwide.
Yes, been to Hong Kong.
No, not a fan of commercial skylines .
Good the population isn’t growing.
Now if the state could only find some magical balance to maintain tourist revenues while cutting back numbers a bit … maybe 25% less would be bearable? But I admit it’s not any easy puzzle to put together. Maybe impossible. And the tourism is #1, military #2.
Now if the state could only find some magical balance to maintain tourist revenues while cutting back numbers a bit … maybe 25% less would be bearable? But I admit it’s not any easy puzzle to put together. Maybe impossible. And the tourism is #1, military #2.
A 25% drop is in the Great Recession range and the State really struggled. It was pandemic brutal.
I think the State and it’s wheelhouse is in the 9 million range of high $$$ tourists. 10 million plus many of whom are backpackers and cheapos not so great.
A 25% drop is in the Great Recession range and the State really struggled. It was pandemic brutal.
I think the State and it’s wheelhouse is in the 9 million range of high $$$ tourists. 10 million plus many of whom are backpackers and cheapos not so great.
Well, 'killing the golden goose' only matters when the goose lays eggs where you can get them. Otherwise, roast the sucker.
Hawaii gets taxes from tourists, but that's just licking the bowl, we're not even getting the icing on the cake. How about making it a requirement that all businesses in Hawaii pay a higher tax and higher wages if they aren't at least 50% owned by Hawaii residents? Every corporation doing business in Hawaii is benefiting off of Hawaii, why not have Hawaii residents do the same?
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