Hawaii Hospitality Industry's Contributions to Homeless Efforts - HLTA Press Conference

The Hawai’i Lodging & Tourism Association held a press conference on September 29, 2015 to report on the hospitality industry’s contributions to the homelessness efforts.​

Looking at 2014 and 2015 the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association has contributed an impressive $1.07 million statewide to aid homelessness efforts through the funding of 37 service providers.  This value is derived from the hundreds of thousands of dollars donated through the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, the Hawaii for Hawaii concert by the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and through in kind donations contributed by all of our members.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 HLTA also announced a new initiative formed with the support of the Institute for Human Services (IHS) and state partner Maui Family Life Center.  HLTA presented IHS with a check for $25,000 to launch the Maui repatriation program, declaring it as an inaugural step in helping solve the homelessness problem throughout the state.  A formal check ceremony will be held on Saturday afternoon, October 17th, at the HLTA General Membership Meeting at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

We are proud to be at the forefront of this very pressing topic and we have committed our efforts even further through the creation of our HLTA homelessness committee that we have formed to assist our efforts going forward.

For a list of coverage on the press conference please see the following links:
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LOCAL COVERAGE
1) Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Tourism group keeps eye on homelessness [PRINT VERSION ATTACHED] (10/01/15)

2) Maui News: Tourism group offers $25,000 for homeless repatriation [PRINT VERSION ATTACHED] (10/02/15)

3) Pacific Business News: Hawaii hotels help fund homeless outreach in Waikiki, and on Maui: Slideshow (10/01/15)

4) West Hawaii Today: Hawaii tourism industry expands homeless airline relocation (10/01/15)

5) Hawaii News Now: Hawaii’s tourism industry raises $1m for the homeless (10/1/15)

6) Hawaii News Now: IHS to launch new program  in effort to help Maui homeless (9/30/15)

7) KHON: Hawaii hotels help homeless via outreach, airline relocation (9/30/15)

8) KITV: Hotel donations pay to fly homeless back to the mainland (9/30/15)

9) Honolulu Civil Beat: Tourism Money to Fly Away the Homeless (9/30/15)

10) MidWeek: Building Upon Homelessness Efforts

11) Honolulu Star-Advertiser: There’s more than 1 way to help homeless

Local Coverage also included radio interview on:
The Mike Buck Show AM 690 KHNR – 9/30/2015

NATIONAL COVERAGE
12) Skift: Hawaii Tourism Gets More Ambitious With Plan to Fly Homeless to the Mainland (10/04/15)

13) News OK: Hawaii tourism industry expands homeless airline relocation (9/30/15)

14) Travel Weekly: Progress reported in outreach effort for Waikiki’s homeless