There may soon be a new $50 visitor fee for many visitors to Hawaii.
The legislation in Hawaii is passing the idea fast.
Visitors who wish to utilize any of the state-owned parks, beaches, woods, or hiking trails will need to obtain a yearly license if the proposed law is approved by the Hawaii Statehouse.
In addition to any entry or parking fees some venues presently charge, tourists would also be assessed a price in order to enjoy some of the state's most well-known attractions.
Ilihia Gionson, public affairs officer at the Hawaii Tourism Authority, informed us that the future of accessing natural areas in Hawaii will require capacity control, similar to what we are starting to see with the reservation systems at some parks.
Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, ran on a platform of a "climate impact charge" that could generate $600 million a year.
The governor made the following comments in an email: "We observed so clearly the impacts of 10 million annual visitors on our islands that in addition to my proposal, there are several being debated at the legislature.
The basic line is that we must maximize the amount of money we receive from tourists in order to lessen those effects.
In fact, the $50 tax would go towards initiatives to lessen the effects of congestion and to safeguard regions that have become overrun with tourists.
There are a number of models being thought about, but a $50 license would function somewhat like a fishing license and would only be valid for a year.
Another bill that would have taxed visitors to Hawaii appears to be on life support at the moment.
The new fee's detractors claim that it unfairly penalizes visitors from other states and that it may violate the constitution.
According to the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, the Constitution's privileges and immunities provision may be broken by a state tax.
Advocates, though, think that the legislation has a fair chance of becoming law and passing constitutional scrutiny.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is mostly on board as well.
Site-specific user fees are something we have constantly backed, Gionson said.
"For instance, reservations are necessary and there is a fee to trek Diamond Head.
We have consistently backed such models."
Despite the fact that visiting Aloha State will cost extra money, Gionson stated that "we endorse the idea that visitors should and should actively contribute to caring for Hawaii's natural resources very broadly."
He stated that 10.4 million people visited Hawaii in 2019, and "Our natural places felt it."
No matter what model the legislature chooses, he stated, "For the Tourist Authority, what is most essential is the reinvestment of those monies into bettering the experience for both residents and visitors."
According to Carissa Cabrera, project manager of Hawaii Green Fee, a supporter of the new visitor fee, "our current local challenges are expensive, including the implications of the climate emergency, the loss of native species, freshwater insecurity, and coral reef decline."
"A visitor green tax would allow us to solve these difficulties with local solutions and protect Hawaii's environment for future generations—the same environment that first draws people here," she stated.
She emphasized that tourists are damaging Hawaii's numerous endangered wildlife and coral reefs.
She also mentioned the disappearance of coastal beaches as a result of global warming's continued rise in sea levels.
Hawaii already has some of the highest tourism tariffs in the world, according to a Money.co.uk article.
Honolulu was listed as having the highest tourist taxes in the entire globe.
The average cost of a seven-night stay in Honolulu would be more than $361 in taxes alone.
Along with that, there is a "transient accommodations tax" of 10.25% and an extra 3% fee for staying the night in Honolulu.
Similar charges and taxes apply to hotel stays on other Hawaiian islands.
Several Hawaiian attractions, such as Kee Beach on Kauai, Waianapanapa State Park on Maui, and Diamond Head State Monument on Oahu, currently charge supplementary fees.
The last time I visited Haleakala National Park on Maui, the admission price was $30.
Green-fee proponents claimed the funds would offer a stable source of income for community groups, state agencies, and local governments to carry out and expand conservation efforts across Hawaii.
"If we don't take serious action, not only will the visitor experience suffer, but more importantly, we will have failed to be decent stewards of the Hawai'i we call home," stated Governor Josh Green.
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