HAWAI'I LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION
Representing Over 700 Lodging Properties and Businesses through education, advocacy, and philanthropy. Established in 1947.
Click on Image to Download HLTA's COVID-19 Health, Safety, and Security Standards
COVID-19 Resources
Recent media items:
"Leaders of the hospitality industry say that hotels will be ready when tourism restarts," KHON2, September 16, 2020
"Pre-travel testing program to start Oct. 15, key step in rebooting Hawaii’s tourism," Hawaii News Now, September 16, 2020
"Hawaii will allow travelers to skip quarantine with negative coronavirus test," KIRO7, September 17, 2020
"Hawaii will allow pre-travel COVID testing instead of quarantining," Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2020
"Some hotels plan to reopen Oct. 15, others will remain closed," KHON2, September 19, 2020
For general information on COVID-19, please visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
For more information on State of Hawai'i COVID-19 testing, please click here.
O'ahu COVID-19 Hotline: (808) 768-CITY
O'ahu COVID-19 Website: oneoahu.org
For up-to-date information, the Department of Health has created a page that will serve as a COVID-19 information hub for the foreseeable future. You may visit it here.
"Leaders of the hospitality industry say that hotels will be ready when tourism restarts," KHON2, September 16, 2020
"Pre-travel testing program to start Oct. 15, key step in rebooting Hawaii’s tourism," Hawaii News Now, September 16, 2020
"Hawaii will allow travelers to skip quarantine with negative coronavirus test," KIRO7, September 17, 2020
"Hawaii will allow pre-travel COVID testing instead of quarantining," Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2020
"Some hotels plan to reopen Oct. 15, others will remain closed," KHON2, September 19, 2020
For general information on COVID-19, please visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
For more information on State of Hawai'i COVID-19 testing, please click here.
O'ahu COVID-19 Hotline: (808) 768-CITY
O'ahu COVID-19 Website: oneoahu.org
For up-to-date information, the Department of Health has created a page that will serve as a COVID-19 information hub for the foreseeable future. You may visit it here.
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EDUCATIONWe provide educational opportunities, information, and resources to our members, legislators, the media,
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ADVOCACYWe advocate the needs of our members with the federal, state, and county governments.
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PHILANTHROPYWe support and contribute to a better quality of life and environment for both the community and our visitors.
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September 7, 2020
Trans-Pacific Travel Restored
Aloha,
Today, Governor Ige announced that Hawai'i's COVID-19 pre-arrival testing program will officially begin on October 15. As you know, this will allow travelers who have received a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their arrival to Hawai'i to circumvent the mandatory 14-day quarantine process. This is a momentous step forward for our local visitor industry which has been all but shuttered since March.
Today's announcement was especially gratifying in light of the actions taken earlier this week. On Monday, I joined with Chamber of Commerce Hawaii President and CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara and Hawai'i Agricultural Foundation Executive Director Denise Yamaguchi in authoring a letter to Gov. Ige detailing our current economic situation and the critical need for tourism to return. Our letter made clear that re-opening local businesses would not be enough to bolster our foundering economy. Without a steady influx of visitors, businesses of all types will continue to struggle. We also made clear that HLTA’s Health, Safety, and Security Standards, which were approved by our board and the State Department of Health, are firmly in place for our workers and visitors to feel that they would be in a secure and healthy environment.
I am grateful that Gov. Ige has responded to our plea and recognizes not only that tourism is needed, but also that our local tourism professionals are ready and able to safely bring visitors back to our shores. In this vein, I have been advocating for resort bubbles to serve as another means for visitors to travel to Hawaii and to put our people back to work. I was delighted that Kaua'i has received the green light from Gov. Ige to establish resort bubbles on the island, and several hotels have already applied to participate in the program. In a conversation I had this morning with Mayor Derek Kawakami, he expressed appreciation for HLTA’s support of this initiative of the Garden Isle. Furthermore, Governor’s Ige announcement of Trans-Pacific travel at the same time underscores the point I had made at the outset- that support for the bubbles concept would not stand in the way of our overarching goal of opening up travel to a greater mass of visitors.
What’s important now is that our local citizenry not become complacent and careless about continuing to wear our masks, wash our hands, and social distance at all times. If we remain vigilant in this regard, our government officials will not feel compelled to take another pause which means that we’ll all have to endure another major setback in our quest to get our economy rolling again. It’s up to each and everyone of us of us, and we can do it!
Mahalo,
Mufi
Today, Governor Ige announced that Hawai'i's COVID-19 pre-arrival testing program will officially begin on October 15. As you know, this will allow travelers who have received a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their arrival to Hawai'i to circumvent the mandatory 14-day quarantine process. This is a momentous step forward for our local visitor industry which has been all but shuttered since March.
Today's announcement was especially gratifying in light of the actions taken earlier this week. On Monday, I joined with Chamber of Commerce Hawaii President and CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara and Hawai'i Agricultural Foundation Executive Director Denise Yamaguchi in authoring a letter to Gov. Ige detailing our current economic situation and the critical need for tourism to return. Our letter made clear that re-opening local businesses would not be enough to bolster our foundering economy. Without a steady influx of visitors, businesses of all types will continue to struggle. We also made clear that HLTA’s Health, Safety, and Security Standards, which were approved by our board and the State Department of Health, are firmly in place for our workers and visitors to feel that they would be in a secure and healthy environment.
I am grateful that Gov. Ige has responded to our plea and recognizes not only that tourism is needed, but also that our local tourism professionals are ready and able to safely bring visitors back to our shores. In this vein, I have been advocating for resort bubbles to serve as another means for visitors to travel to Hawaii and to put our people back to work. I was delighted that Kaua'i has received the green light from Gov. Ige to establish resort bubbles on the island, and several hotels have already applied to participate in the program. In a conversation I had this morning with Mayor Derek Kawakami, he expressed appreciation for HLTA’s support of this initiative of the Garden Isle. Furthermore, Governor’s Ige announcement of Trans-Pacific travel at the same time underscores the point I had made at the outset- that support for the bubbles concept would not stand in the way of our overarching goal of opening up travel to a greater mass of visitors.
What’s important now is that our local citizenry not become complacent and careless about continuing to wear our masks, wash our hands, and social distance at all times. If we remain vigilant in this regard, our government officials will not feel compelled to take another pause which means that we’ll all have to endure another major setback in our quest to get our economy rolling again. It’s up to each and everyone of us of us, and we can do it!
Mahalo,
Mufi
HLTA In The Community
HLTA & Aloha Harvest Food Distribution - July 29, 2020
Hospitality Industry - Public Outreach & Updates
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