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HTA & HLTA Announce College Scholarships:
Five $48,000 & Ten $24,000 Awards Available
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association today announced the introduction of the Ho‘oilina Scholarships for students pursuing degrees in the tourism, hospitality, or culinary fields.
The Ho‘oilina (“legacy” in Hawaiian) Scholarships will be jointly funded by the two organizations and administered by the HLTA.
The scholarships are open exclusively to Hawai‘i public high school graduates who are planning to pursue degrees in tourism-related fields.
Five, four-year scholarships of $12,000 per student per year ($48,000 total) will be awarded to students admitted to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s School of Travel Industry Management or the hospitality programs at Brigham Young University Hawai‘i or Hawai‘i Pacific University.
Ten, two-year scholarships of $12,000 per student per year ($24,000 total) will be awarded to University of Hawai‘i Community College students participating in Hawai‘i Promise and who are transferring into the UH TIM School. The awards will be allocated among the Community College campuses, two for O‘ahu, two for Maui County, two for Kaua‘i County, two for Hawai‘i Island, and two for students from any island.
Chris Tatum, HTA President and CEO, said, “The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is very pleased to partner with the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association to introduce a program we believe is vital to the future of tourism in the islands. Encouraging and supporting our exceptional public high school students in their college studies will develop future generations of island leaders and bring fresh ideas and perspectives to better enable us to compete in a global marketplace.”
Mufi Hannemann, HLTA President and CEO, said, “As a long-time proponent of public-private partnerships, I can’t think of a better way for government and business to collaborate than in supporting the educations of our young people. The HLTA already offers nearly 60 scholarships for high school and college students, including many for hospitality students, but this is truly groundbreaking in monetary terms and for the future of our young people and the visitor industry. Kudos to Chris Tatum and the HTA team for their spirit of cooperation.”
Applicants will be selected based on grade point average, leadership skills, volunteer service, and internship experience. Recipients must enroll in ‘Ōlelo Hawaiian language and culture classes.
The Ho‘oilina Scholarship recipient selection committee will be co-chaired by Chris Tatum and Mufi Hannemann. Members will include leaders from across the state in the fields of hospitality, culinary arts, and education, as well as labor representatives and Hawaiian culture specialists.
Applications are now available on the HLTA website and are due at noon on Tuesday, April 9th, 2019
The Ho‘oilina (“legacy” in Hawaiian) Scholarships will be jointly funded by the two organizations and administered by the HLTA.
The scholarships are open exclusively to Hawai‘i public high school graduates who are planning to pursue degrees in tourism-related fields.
Five, four-year scholarships of $12,000 per student per year ($48,000 total) will be awarded to students admitted to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s School of Travel Industry Management or the hospitality programs at Brigham Young University Hawai‘i or Hawai‘i Pacific University.
Ten, two-year scholarships of $12,000 per student per year ($24,000 total) will be awarded to University of Hawai‘i Community College students participating in Hawai‘i Promise and who are transferring into the UH TIM School. The awards will be allocated among the Community College campuses, two for O‘ahu, two for Maui County, two for Kaua‘i County, two for Hawai‘i Island, and two for students from any island.
Chris Tatum, HTA President and CEO, said, “The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is very pleased to partner with the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association to introduce a program we believe is vital to the future of tourism in the islands. Encouraging and supporting our exceptional public high school students in their college studies will develop future generations of island leaders and bring fresh ideas and perspectives to better enable us to compete in a global marketplace.”
Mufi Hannemann, HLTA President and CEO, said, “As a long-time proponent of public-private partnerships, I can’t think of a better way for government and business to collaborate than in supporting the educations of our young people. The HLTA already offers nearly 60 scholarships for high school and college students, including many for hospitality students, but this is truly groundbreaking in monetary terms and for the future of our young people and the visitor industry. Kudos to Chris Tatum and the HTA team for their spirit of cooperation.”
Applicants will be selected based on grade point average, leadership skills, volunteer service, and internship experience. Recipients must enroll in ‘Ōlelo Hawaiian language and culture classes.
The Ho‘oilina Scholarship recipient selection committee will be co-chaired by Chris Tatum and Mufi Hannemann. Members will include leaders from across the state in the fields of hospitality, culinary arts, and education, as well as labor representatives and Hawaiian culture specialists.
Applications are now available on the HLTA website and are due at noon on Tuesday, April 9th, 2019
Transient Vacation Rental Measure Passes First Test at
Honolulu City Council Planning Committee
This past Monday, the Honolulu City Council Committee on Planning held a special hearing to deliberate Bills 85 and 89 (2018) which would set registration and regulatory parameters in which Transient Vacation Rentals (TVRs) and Bed & Breakfasts (B&Bs) can operate within the City & County of Honolulu. The committee hearing was packed with both proponents and opponents of the measures as testifiers filled the room and spilled out into the hallways of Honolulu Hale.
Bill 89 (2018), the administration’s omnibus TVR bill, which passed through the planning commission, had three proposed CD1 drafts on the committee’s agenda. All three proposals had a different approach which ranged from only allowing B&B’s (not TVRs) to expand within the county, to opening up B&B and TVR registrations across the county under density caps, and even allowing them in residential areas.
During the hearing, I testified on behalf of both the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority in support of stronger regulations and enforcement measures in dealing with the illegal transient vacation rentals in our county. Though we appreciate the valiant efforts put forth by the administration in crafting the current Bill 89 (2018), I went on record to state that:
As I have said from the onset of this debate: this is not an industry versus TVR issue, rather it is a community issue in which illegal short term rentals are adversely affecting the quality of life for our residents. To this end, I stated that transient vacation rentals should only be allowed to exist within the current areas permitted by the City’s Land Use Ordinance, or if they currently hold a nonconforming use certificate.
Note: Zones within the City & County of Honolulu that TVRs and B&Bs are currently legal in are: the A-2 medium density apartment zones within 3,500 feet of a resort district of greater than 50 contiguous acres, the resort district, and the resort mixed use district of the Waikiki special district.
Out of the three proposed CD1s on the agenda, Committee Chair Ikaika Anderson’s draft amendments to the administration’s proposed legislation mirrored our sentiments the closest in addressing the many concerns voiced by Oahu’s neighborhoods that homes are being taken off the market with the purpose of becoming income-producing investments. His proposed draft is in line with our desire to keep transient vacation rentals limited to their current legal zones, and only calls for the establishment of a registration system for B&B expansion within the City (with a 1% density cap per development area). This will hopefully eliminate all illegal transient vacation rentals and limit short term rentals, outside of current permitted zones, to owner occupied residences.
After a long, arduous day of testimonies from both sides of the issue, the vote was taken at five ayes, zero noes, and one excused member – in unanimous support of the industry’s position (Committee Chair Anderson’s draft). Additionally, Bill 85 (2018) was passed out of committee with the proposal submitted by Councilmember Menor and Councilmember Manahan which would ban all short-term rentals outside of currently legal districts or those with nonconforming use certificates, and would allow neighbors to file civil actions against one another if they are operating an illegal short term rental.
This is a positive first step for both the visitor industry and our local communities as a revamped Bill 89 (2018) CD1 and Bill 85 (2018) CD1 now head to the full City Council for second reading. It also validates the strategy that I announced at our General Membership Meeting at Ko Olina this past October - that we are focusing our attention at the county levels of government due to the State’s inability to reach consensus on this issue after several attempts. We have witnessed progress on Hawaii Island, Maui, Kauai and now Oahu. Hopefully this will also serve as a major incentive for the State to renew its efforts to fashion similar legislation like the counties during this legislative session.
Stay tuned as we keep you updated on these measures, and we please ask that you be ready to lend your strong voice as we continue our advocacy efforts.
Mahalo,
Mufi Hannemann
President & CEO
Bill 89 (2018), the administration’s omnibus TVR bill, which passed through the planning commission, had three proposed CD1 drafts on the committee’s agenda. All three proposals had a different approach which ranged from only allowing B&B’s (not TVRs) to expand within the county, to opening up B&B and TVR registrations across the county under density caps, and even allowing them in residential areas.
During the hearing, I testified on behalf of both the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority in support of stronger regulations and enforcement measures in dealing with the illegal transient vacation rentals in our county. Though we appreciate the valiant efforts put forth by the administration in crafting the current Bill 89 (2018), I went on record to state that:
- The current measure does not go far enough in regulating the TVR market;
- In order to create parity between the short term rental market and our traditional brick-and-mortar businesses TVRs and B&Bs need to have a separate real property tax classification like we have seen on Kauai and Maui in particular;
- In order to provide higher levels of transparency we support promulgating stronger advertising rules for all TVRs and B&Bs;
- Most importantly, we as an industry are in strong opposition to opening up new permitted zones for TVRs to operate in as was proposed in the original bill and in several CD1 drafts; and
- Finally there is a golden opportunity to collect a sizable amount of monies to add to the county government coffers.
As I have said from the onset of this debate: this is not an industry versus TVR issue, rather it is a community issue in which illegal short term rentals are adversely affecting the quality of life for our residents. To this end, I stated that transient vacation rentals should only be allowed to exist within the current areas permitted by the City’s Land Use Ordinance, or if they currently hold a nonconforming use certificate.
Note: Zones within the City & County of Honolulu that TVRs and B&Bs are currently legal in are: the A-2 medium density apartment zones within 3,500 feet of a resort district of greater than 50 contiguous acres, the resort district, and the resort mixed use district of the Waikiki special district.
Out of the three proposed CD1s on the agenda, Committee Chair Ikaika Anderson’s draft amendments to the administration’s proposed legislation mirrored our sentiments the closest in addressing the many concerns voiced by Oahu’s neighborhoods that homes are being taken off the market with the purpose of becoming income-producing investments. His proposed draft is in line with our desire to keep transient vacation rentals limited to their current legal zones, and only calls for the establishment of a registration system for B&B expansion within the City (with a 1% density cap per development area). This will hopefully eliminate all illegal transient vacation rentals and limit short term rentals, outside of current permitted zones, to owner occupied residences.
After a long, arduous day of testimonies from both sides of the issue, the vote was taken at five ayes, zero noes, and one excused member – in unanimous support of the industry’s position (Committee Chair Anderson’s draft). Additionally, Bill 85 (2018) was passed out of committee with the proposal submitted by Councilmember Menor and Councilmember Manahan which would ban all short-term rentals outside of currently legal districts or those with nonconforming use certificates, and would allow neighbors to file civil actions against one another if they are operating an illegal short term rental.
This is a positive first step for both the visitor industry and our local communities as a revamped Bill 89 (2018) CD1 and Bill 85 (2018) CD1 now head to the full City Council for second reading. It also validates the strategy that I announced at our General Membership Meeting at Ko Olina this past October - that we are focusing our attention at the county levels of government due to the State’s inability to reach consensus on this issue after several attempts. We have witnessed progress on Hawaii Island, Maui, Kauai and now Oahu. Hopefully this will also serve as a major incentive for the State to renew its efforts to fashion similar legislation like the counties during this legislative session.
Stay tuned as we keep you updated on these measures, and we please ask that you be ready to lend your strong voice as we continue our advocacy efforts.
Mahalo,
Mufi Hannemann
President & CEO
Visitor Public Safety Conference - 03/28
I have always said that Hawaii’s tourism industry relies on the fact that we are a safe place to live, play, visit, and do business. All it would take is a few highly publicized crimes to harm this reputation, which draws millions of visitors to our shores and entices world class conventions such as the APEC conference, the World Conservations Congress, and arriving in 2020 the Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture.
Last year, our inaugural VPSC was a resounding success - it helped to formulate both short and long-term goals addressing safety and crime, as well as established actionable items for all stakeholders to consider. In fact, the proof is in the poi, as exactly one-year after our conference, many of the suggestions from the meeting were reflected in the 2019 Waikiki crime-fighting plan, rolled out by the Honolulu Police Department and the City Administration.
But with public safety-related incidences making their way back to the front pages, HLTA has decided to hold a second iteration of our Visitor Public Safety Conference, hosted in partnership with the Hawai’i Tourism Authority, the Waikiki Improvement Association, the Waikiki Business Improvement District Association, and the Hawaii Hotel Visitor Industry Security Association.
This year’s meeting will be a half-day affair, driven by leaders from all sectors of public safety. The morning will begin with the Honolulu Police Department’s leadership, sharing their insight on current crime and their numerous new initiatives. The second half of the conference will feature a panel of specialists who will focus on the seven major concerns in terms of crime reduction and safety: residential, hotels, businesses, visitors, youth, the military, and homelessness.
If you’re interested in attending, please register here.
Last year, our inaugural VPSC was a resounding success - it helped to formulate both short and long-term goals addressing safety and crime, as well as established actionable items for all stakeholders to consider. In fact, the proof is in the poi, as exactly one-year after our conference, many of the suggestions from the meeting were reflected in the 2019 Waikiki crime-fighting plan, rolled out by the Honolulu Police Department and the City Administration.
But with public safety-related incidences making their way back to the front pages, HLTA has decided to hold a second iteration of our Visitor Public Safety Conference, hosted in partnership with the Hawai’i Tourism Authority, the Waikiki Improvement Association, the Waikiki Business Improvement District Association, and the Hawaii Hotel Visitor Industry Security Association.
This year’s meeting will be a half-day affair, driven by leaders from all sectors of public safety. The morning will begin with the Honolulu Police Department’s leadership, sharing their insight on current crime and their numerous new initiatives. The second half of the conference will feature a panel of specialists who will focus on the seven major concerns in terms of crime reduction and safety: residential, hotels, businesses, visitors, youth, the military, and homelessness.
If you’re interested in attending, please register here.
Member Spotlight: Ben Rafter
For those of you who caught Ben Rafter’s feature in Hawaii Business Magazine, you know that Ben is working on turning OLS Hotels & Resorts into “the next great Hawaii hotel operator.”
The 2015-2016 HLTA Chairperson is CEO of OLS Hotels & Resorts, which operates 23 branded and boutique hotels nationwide, with plans to move its headquarters from LA to Honolulu soon. OLS Hotels & Resorts is more than 50% locally owned, and is operating five Hawaii hotels. But with Ben at the helm, they’re expanding their local operations, and are looking to take up the mantle as a great, locally-owned Hawaii hotel operator, following in the footsteps of the Kelley family of Outrigger and others that preceded them. Rafter, a current HTA board member, also has recruited Rob Robinson, formerly with 'Alohilani Resort of Highgate Hotels to be part of his management team. Both Robinson and Rafter are active board members of HLTA.
Although the past President of Aqua-Aston Hospitality got his start in the tech world, I think it’s clear that Ben has found his niche in the hospitality world.
To catch the full Hawaii Business feature, click here.
The 2015-2016 HLTA Chairperson is CEO of OLS Hotels & Resorts, which operates 23 branded and boutique hotels nationwide, with plans to move its headquarters from LA to Honolulu soon. OLS Hotels & Resorts is more than 50% locally owned, and is operating five Hawaii hotels. But with Ben at the helm, they’re expanding their local operations, and are looking to take up the mantle as a great, locally-owned Hawaii hotel operator, following in the footsteps of the Kelley family of Outrigger and others that preceded them. Rafter, a current HTA board member, also has recruited Rob Robinson, formerly with 'Alohilani Resort of Highgate Hotels to be part of his management team. Both Robinson and Rafter are active board members of HLTA.
Although the past President of Aqua-Aston Hospitality got his start in the tech world, I think it’s clear that Ben has found his niche in the hospitality world.
To catch the full Hawaii Business feature, click here.
Hospitality Industry - Public Outreach & Updates
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