Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Chapters >
      • Oahu
      • Maui
      • Hawai'i
      • Kauai
    • HLTA's Committees >
      • Engineers Advisory Council
      • Golf Tournament
      • Hospitality Housekeeping Council
      • HR Council
      • HYPE
      • Membership
      • Women In Lodging & Tourism
    • Board of Directors
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Become a Member!
    • Testimonials
  • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
    • Legislative Tracker
  • HTBCC
  • HLTA Initiatives
  • CHARITY WALK
  • Scholarships
  • #AlohaLater
  • Mākaukau
  • Health & Safety Standards
  • HLTA IN THE Media

HLTA Blog

September 28, 2020

9/28/2020

0 Comments

 

September 28, 2020

Aloha,

While October 15 and the restoration of trans-Pacific travel draws nearer, businesses around the state continue to prepare for an influx of visitors while also navigating new COVID-19 restrictions, especially on O'ahu. These restrictions, which are part of the recently unveiled Honolulu’s  tiered recovery program, have raised numerous questions ranging from exemptions to enforcement. They have also caused some to ask: who will want to visit Hawai'i under such restrictions?

As we have pushed Gov. Ige to re-open, I have consistently made clear in comments to the media that any trip to Hawai'i right now won't boast all the usual trimmings and perks of a pre-COVID-19 vacation. That being said, visitors can still come here, enjoy the many things we have to offer, and rest easy knowing that our local tourism industry has made the necessary preparations to keep them safe and healthy throughout their stay. I expect that further issues requiring clarification will arise when visitors begin to arrive, and they will be addressed as needed. But we can also start tweaking and fixing some of the more obvious and onerous restrictions now as was pointed out in today’s Star-Advertiser story cited above. 

Despite these ambiguities, it is evident that the word is spreading that Hawai'i will soon be open for business. The Anchorage Daily News, the most widely read news publication in Alaska, recently contacted me for a story detailing both how Alaskans can travel to Hawai'i, and what they need to know about our pre-arrival testing program and current COVID-19 restrictions. 

I am confident that the demand for travel to Hawai'i exists and will only continue to grow as travelers learn that they can come here secure in the fact that we are prepared to keep them safe.

Candidate Spotlight

Mitch Roth
Candidate for Hawai'i County Mayor
Campaign Website
HLTA Questionnaire
​​"HLTA supported Mitch for the top job at the Prosecutor's Office in 2016, and he did an outstanding job working with the hospitality industry to create a safe environment for both visitors and Hawai'i Island residents. He has close working relationships with Hawai'i Island legislators, and I am highly confident that he will bring a collaborative and energetic style of leadership to the Mayor's office."

- Mufi Hannemann statement on mayoral candidate Mitch Roth
Kurt Fevella
Candidate for Senate District 19

'Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe, 'Ewa by Gentry, Iroquois Point,
portion of 'Ewa Villages

Campaign Website
HLTA Questionnaire
​​"We supported Senator Fevella during the Senate District 19 Special Election in 2018, and he has been a champion for our industry for the past two years. The lifelong 'Ewa Beach resident has always kept his door open for tourism industry stakeholders, and we are confident that he will continue to be an ally when he is re-elected."

- Mufi Hannemann statement on Senate District 19 incumbent Kurt Fevella
Over the coming weeks, we will continue to share key information about the candidates that have been endorsed by HLTA for November's election. You may also visit our endorsement page here. There you will be able to review their websites as well as the tourism-centric questionnaire that they completed to be considered for endorsement.

Don't forget to click on the candidate's photos to watch their personal videos!

Mahalo,
​Mufi
0 Comments

September 25, 2020

9/25/2020

0 Comments

 

Pre-Travel Testing

Aloha,

With trans-Pacific travel set to resume in just over two weeks, there have been numerous questions about the logistics surrounding the mandatory COVID-19 test for those looking to bypass Hawai'i's mandatory 14-day quarantine. When the October 15 date was originally announced, the State indicated that agreements had been struck with both CVS and Kaiser Permanente to provide testing for travelers. These tests are available to potential travelers for $139.

Hawaiian Airlines also recently announced that it will begin offering pre-travel, drive-up testing for Hawaiian Airlines passengers beginning October 15. An express, same-day test will cost $150 while a standard test that produces results within 36 hours will cost $90. Initially, this service will be offered near the Los Angeles and San Francisco international airports with more locations to be announced soon.

Additionally, United Airlines will be offering Hawai'i-bound passengers a $250 test that will be administered at the airport. This test will produce results in 15 minutes, but will only be offered at San Francisco International Airport for the time being.

On the local front, the entire lodging industry has continued to prepare for the restoration of tourism. In addition to the HLTA Health, Safety, & Security Standards, many hotel properties have adopted either their own standards or that of their national brand. In an effort to keep industry members and prospective travelers abreast of hygiene standards, we have created a continuously updated hub on our website where visitors to the site can find hotel standards all in one place. I encourage you to take a moment to visit the page and see what hotels around the state are doing to prepare.

FAQs

In recent weeks, our office has fielded questions about a variety of issues including the upcoming re-opening which is slated for October 15. The State Department of Health has compiled a list of frequently asked questions which can be viewed by clicking here.

Additionally, Gov. Ige appeared on the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's Spotlight Hawai'i on Facebook Live. Some of his comments are provided below courtesy of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority:

(Asked about possibility of interisland pre-travel testing to bypass interisland quarantine)

“One of the concerns is that we only have limited testing capacity in the state. At normal back in January it was common for us to have 25,000 interisland trips per day and clearly we only have the testing capacity of 5,000. We’re working to expand that, but we have really limited testing capacity and that comes into the equation about interisland pre-travel testing.”

(Asked about the October 15th reopening date)

“Our focus is really on creating a safe way for travelers to come, and the pre-travel testing program and getting a test that is negative prior to coming really does help us improve the numbers who are coming and making sure they are not infected. It will be a limited experience, as you know restaurants are not fully open at this time especially here on O‘ahu and so we want to make sure that our partners are informing those who might be traveling that it’s not the pre-COVID Hawai‘i where we have thousands and thousands of visitors here, and many businesses will still be on reduced schedules, restaurants will not be fully open so it will be a very different experience and we want to make sure that those who choose to come here will understand that and not expect full access to all of the attractions that they would’ve gotten if they came in January of this year.”

(Asked about locals who take a trip to the mainland)

“The pre-travel testing program applies to everyone, whether residents who travel to the mainland and are coming back or it’s a visitor planning a trip. So, if a resident is planning a trip to the mainland if they can make arrangements to get a pre-travel test prior to their return they can avoid the 14-day quarantine.”

(Asked about travelers coming in from other countries)

“For most of the international travelers the U.S. is still on a status that they don’t encourage travel to the United States. As I said before, we’re working with the governments to really treat Hawai‘i separate from the U.S. and there has been a willingness. We are working with our travel partners in Japan, South Korea and New Zealand to really identify the tests, the equivalent tests that they might be able to get in Japan or Korea or New Zealand, making sure they’re equivalent.”

(Asked about testing young children)

“A lot of our partners at this time are not willing to be testing children so families trying to travel on this pre-travel testing program will have a difficult time finding someone who can administer the test. So we are focused on enabling more trans-Pacific travelers to come. It won’t be the ideal situation, it’s not going to be accessible to everyone who wants to travel. We do continue to expand the testing program hoping that the partners would be willing to test children but they’re not willing to do that at this point in time so we’ll work with what we can and continue to expand the program as we continue to move forward.”

HLTA Endorsements

Finally, we have also launched a new page on our website highlighting the candidates that we have endorsed for the general election. On this page, you will be able to find links to campaign websites, their completed questionnaires, and a personal video from each candidate. We will continue to update this page as we receive more submissions.

Have a great weekend,
​Mufi
0 Comments

September 20, 2020

9/20/2020

0 Comments

 

HLTA Endorsements

Picture
Mufi with Hawai'i County mayoral candidate Prosecutor Mitch Roth at a Pacific Century Fellows event at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in 2017.
Aloha,

The Hawai'i Lodging & Tourism Association takes pride in its government affairs work and its advocacy on behalf of the local tourism industry, and I have always put great emphasis on representing the interests of our industry and the Hawai'i community before our State and county governments.

As such, I am excited to announce that the following candidates have been endorsed by HLTA in the general election:

Hawai‘i State Senate
Gil S. Coloma Keith-Agaran, District 5
Stanley Chang, District 9
Kelly Kitashima, District 16 Special Election
Kurt Fevella, District 19
Donovan Dela Cruz, District 22
 
Hawai‘i State House of Representatives
Chris Todd, District 2
Richard Onishi, District 3
Justin Woodson, District 9
Lynn DeCoite, District 13
Nadine Nakamura, District 14
James Kunane Tokioka, District 15
Gene Ward, District 17
Mark Hashem, District 18
Adrian Tam, District 22 
Sam Kong, District 33
Gregg Takayama, District 34
Trish La Chica, District 36
Ryan Yamane, District 37
Ty Cullen, District 39
Bob McDermott, District 40
David Alcos, District 41
Stacelynn Eli, District 43
Cedric Gates, District 44
Lauren Cheape Matsumoto, District 45
Sean Quinlan, District 47
Scot Matayoshi, District 49
Patrick Branco, District 50
 
Kaua‘i County Council – At-Large Candidates
Bernard Carvalho Jr.
Mason Chock
Felicia Cowden
Luke Evslin
Arryl Kaneshiro
KipuKai Kuali‘i
Jade Waialeale Battad
 
Maui County Council
Claire Kamalu Carroll, East Maui
Rick Nava, West Maui
Alice Lee, Wailuku-Waihe‘e-Waikapū
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Upcountry
Tasha Kama, Kahului
Tom Cook, South Maui
Alberta De Jetley, Lāna‘i
Stacy Helm Crivello, Moloka‘i

Honolulu Mayor
Keith Amemiya or Rick Blangiardi - Open
 
Honolulu City Council
Esther Kiaʻāina, District 3
Jacob Aki, District 7
Augusto E. Tulba, District 9
 
Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney
Steve Alm 

Hawai‘i County Council
Dominic Yagong, District 1

Hawai‘i County Mayor
Mitch Roth

Many of these endorsements should come as no surprise as several candidates have long been friends to our industry. Among our endorsements for election to the Hawai'i State Legislature, you will find the names of more than a few incumbents who have already shown their willingness to work with the tourism sector.

On the county front, however, HLTA opted to endorse a mix of newcomers and political veterans. In the Hawai'i County mayoral race, HLTA has endorsed Mitch Roth who we backed for the top job in the Prosecutor's Office back in 2016. In the years since, he has done an outstanding job working closely with the hospitality industry to create a safe community for residents and visitors alike.

In the Honolulu mayoral race however, our endorsement committee was unable to come to a decision between political newcomers Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya. While both candidates impressed committee members with their business-oriented goals and expressed eagerness to work with industry stakeholders to rebuild Hawai'i's top economic driver, the committee, and ultimately, our Board of Directors, decided to remain open or neutral in this race.

Each of the candidates that we have endorsed for the Honolulu City Council are first-time candidates for their seats. In reviewing their questionnaires, they showed an exceptional grasp of the issues and signaled their support for our industry. On the neighbor islands, we chose to endorse candidates that we felt would work in close correlation with their respective county mayors who we have supported in previous elections.

Over the next week, we will begin sharing more detailed information about candidates in key races on our website. When this page goes live, we will send out more notice on the details. Please make sure to share it with all of your associates so that they may see exactly which candidates will champion our local tourism industry in the halls of government
Picture
Mufi is pictured above with Honolulu City Council candidate Augie Tulba.

Voting Information

It is not too late to register to vote in the upcoming general election! Below, you will find key dates and how to register to vote- even if you did not vote in the primary.

ELECTION DAY
November 3, 2020
Voting closes at 7:000 p.m.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE
October 5, 2020

BALLOT MAIL-OUT DATE
County of Hawai'i: October 7, 2020
County of Maui: October 8, 2020
County of Kaua'i: October 9, 2020
City and County of Honolulu: October 5 & 6, 2020

REGISTER HERE TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER

Other Topics of Interest

In yesterday's top story, KHON covered the readiness of local hotels for the re-opening of trans-Pacific travel which will begin on October 15. My comments on the matter focused on the fact that October 15 is a hard, confirmed date, and that the entire industry will have to go to great lengths to change the perception that Hawai'i isn't open for business. The online article also posted HLTA's Health, Safety, & Security Standards that have been approved by the State Department of Health.

In other tourism-related news, Hawaii News Now reported that the Maui Invitational basketball tourney is being moved from Hawai'i to North Carolina. This will mark the first time in the tournament's 36-year history that it will not be held on Maui, and we cannot take it for granted or assume that this prestigious basketball tournament will return automatically in 2021. This highlights the importance of sports tourism to our economy and the need for our tourism officials and government leaders to develop a pro-active strategy to keep in Hawai'i these quality events that have been synonymous with Hawai'i from a visitor and local perspective. 

Mahalo,
​Mufi
0 Comments

Mufi's Message - September 7, 2020

9/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Aloha,

Last week, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg stated on a Facebook Live appearance that Hawai'i would not be ready for tourists until January. He also incorrectly reported that the group lobbying hardest to this effect were the hotels themselves. It caused quite a stir amongst our members...As you well know, HLTA's position is not only that we are ready to welcome guests back, but that we have taken every precaution to keep guests safe once they arrive and that our colleagues and co-workers health and safety is also of utmost importance. 

As such, I sent the following message to Mr. Greenberg earlier today:
Aloha Mr. Greenberg,
 
My name is Mufi Hannemann and I serve as the president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA). We are the state of Hawai‘i’s largest private sector visitor industry organization representing 700 members, 50,000 hotel rooms, and 40,000 lodging associates.
 
I was recently pointed to your September 3rd Facebook Live where you stated that Hawai‘i will not be ready for travelers until January, and that the group lobbying hardest to this effect are the hotels themselves. 
 
As someone with decades of experience in our market and working relationships with our tourism sector’s stakeholders and government officials, I could not disagree with this statement more. This sentiment that I've expressed has also been echoed by several of our local hoteliers. It has always been a private decision on the part of the individual hotels whether they remain open or shuttered during this pandemic crisis. 
 
HLTA recently conducted a statewide survey of hotel properties. As of the end of August, 136 hotels remained open despite our mandatory quarantine period and a severe decrease in visitor arrivals. This represents 60.7% of all the properties that participated in the survey.
 
Hawai‘i’s tourism industry is not biding its time. Our goal has always been to re-establish both trans-Pacific and international travel as soon as it is feasibly possible. We are not merely seeking a short-term solution; we are looking to retain and solidify our status as a premier destination to which visitors can safely and confidently travel.
 
To this effect, you should also know that HLTA has developed health and hygiene standards to which we have asked all local hotels to adhere. These were created after reviewing the latest information from the WHO, CDC, and OSHA, before a draft was ultimately shared with our state Department of Health for its input. HLTA’s standards received DOH approval and are already being implemented at the vast majority of hotel properties around our state.
 
Secondly, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige’s latest emergency proclamation allowed for the establishment of resort bubbles, and I strongly believe that this will be a positive step forward for Hawai‘i. Next week, film production for the “Temptation Island” TV show will begin at a resort on Maui. The entire production crew will be subjected to strict testing and self-quarantine protocols before being allowed into the resort bubble. Once there, they will remain in the bubble until the production is complete. This production alone will provide more than 100 film crew jobs and will bring countless hospitality workers back to their old jobs. Moreover, it will serve as a proving ground for both HLTA and hotel brand hygiene standards and is already resulting in more film productions looking to return to Hawai‘i.
 
The “Temptation Island” production also makes clear that local hotels are willing to open their doors at almost any occupancy level. Our industry strongly believes that opening for even a small number of visitors will lead to increased confidence in the experience that we provide, and that the number of visitor arrivals will slowly continue to rise from there. To be frank, regardless of whether or not the October 1st date gets pushed back further, we will continue to advocate for Hawai’i to open up safely and start to welcome travelers back. It does not matter if this is at occupancy levels as low as 20% as you have referenced. Our view, which is shared by the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, is that our local economy will not recover robustly unless tourism comes back in a safe and productive manner.
 
In the future, please feel free to contact me should you require further insight into Hawai‘i’s tourism sector and economy. You have thousands of viewers who respect your opinion and may base their travel decisions on your analysis.

I can be reached at mhannemann@hawaiilodging.org at any time.
 
Mahalo,
Mufi Hannemann
President & CEO
Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association
​I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day holiday.

Mahalo, 
​Mufi
0 Comments

    Stay in the know

    Keep up with HLTA through our blog! Let us know what you think in the comment box below each post.

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Hawai'i Lodging & Tourism Association.  All Rights Reserved.
2270 Kalākaua Ave, Suite 1702  |  Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 923-0407 | info@hawaiilodging.org
MemberClicks
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Chapters >
      • Oahu
      • Maui
      • Hawai'i
      • Kauai
    • HLTA's Committees >
      • Engineers Advisory Council
      • Golf Tournament
      • Hospitality Housekeeping Council
      • HR Council
      • HYPE
      • Membership
      • Women In Lodging & Tourism
    • Board of Directors
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Become a Member!
    • Testimonials
  • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
    • Legislative Tracker
  • HTBCC
  • HLTA Initiatives
  • CHARITY WALK
  • Scholarships
  • #AlohaLater
  • Mākaukau
  • Health & Safety Standards
  • HLTA IN THE Media