Vaccination Update Aloha,
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention issued updated guidance regarding travel that suggests that fully vaccinated people, meaning those that have received their shot(s) and waited the prescribed two weeks, can travel freely around the United States without pre-arrival testing or mandatory quarantine. The guidance also provided for international travel, stating the following:
"Hawaii travel restrictions might loosen as CDC guidelines change for those fully vaccinated," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, April 3, 2021 Our position remains that a vaccine passport is our state's best route toward the full restoration of travel and that a program of this nature could possibly start with interisland travel. This would allow fully vaccinated Hawai'i residents to move freely around the state, thereby allowing families to reconnect, those in need to seek critical medical treatment, and more. It would also serve as a proving ground for the vaccine passport program prior to allowing trans-Pacific and international travelers to come to Hawai'i without a pre-arrival test or a mandatory quarantine period. "Hawaii visitor industry urges governor to loosen travel restrictions after latest CDC guidance," KHON2, April 2, 2021 All this being said, an effective and well-run vaccine passport program will still be contingent upon our community continuing to do the right things in regard to public health mandates. This includes the practice of proper social distancing and the diligent use of face coverings. Hawai'i is doing an outstanding job of vaccinating residents, but it will all be for naught should we have another outbreak of the virus or, even worse, of a variant. Finally, enjoy your weekend and Happy Easter to you, your families, and loved ones! Mahalo, Mufi
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Vaccination Update Aloha, Around the country, doses of the COVID-19 vaccine continue to be administered at a blistering pace. Nationwide, nearly 154 million individual doses have been distributed. Roughly 30% of the U.S. adult population has received at least the first shot, while 17% of the country is already fully vaccinated. Perhaps more importantly, 73.7% of Americans aged 65 or older have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Locally, Hawai'i residents have also been receiving their vaccinations in great numbers. More than 450,000 people, or 31% of the population, have already received at least one dose of the vaccine. Meanwhile, nearly 20% of Hawai'i residents are already fully vaccinated. Since the State began Phase-1C of the vaccination schedule, local hospitality workers have also been quickly receiving their vaccinations, and there are still many appointments available. The overall response from those who have started to receive their vaccinations has been heartwarming to say the least. Numerous individuals from the various corners of the tourism sector have reached out to share their excitement regarding their vaccination, and even MidWeek has a shoutout to HLTA in Director of Content Ron Nagasawa's "What's Next?" column. As a reminder, you may continue to send your lists of associates to be vaccinated to covidupdates@hawaiilodging.org. Hospitality workers can also find appointments and more information at this link. Mayoral UpdateThe monthly hospitality industry update meeting with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, which we co-sponsor with HTA, has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 6 at 11:30 am. The meeting will be held over Zoom and is open to all HLTA members. To register for the meeting, please email info@hawaiilodging.org. Mayor Blangiardi has been extremely receptive to these meetings, and they have been highly productive. If you are available, I recommend that you tune in. Other Media That May Interest YouAs you know, HLTA has continued to push for the establishment of a "vaccine passport" that would allow adequately vaccinated travelers to be exempt from the mandatory quarantine period. This is a hot topic of late with myriad discussions happening at the State Legislature as well as in the media.
"Hawaii moving forward using coronavirus vaccine passport for travel," KHON2, March 30, 2021 "Hawaii explores use of vaccine passports for inter-island travel," USA Today, April 1, 2021 KHON2 also ran a story yesterday that focused on the high demand for rental cars as Hawai'i continues to see visitor arrivals increase. The article, as well as the topic it focused upon, really highlighted the pent up demand for travel that exists across the country right now which bodes well for our overall economic recovery. "Rental car shortage in Hawaii spikes prices in the hundreds," KHON2, March 31, 2021 In closing, I would just like to wish you all the best for a relaxing Easter holiday. I hope that you are able to relax and enjoy it with your 'ohana. Mahalo, Mufi A Hui Hou!Aloha, Michael Jokovich recently announced that he has been promoted and will soon be leaving us to oversee a portfolio of properties on the East Coast as Hyatt's Senior Vice President of Field Operations. As many of you know, my longtime buddy Joko is an accomplished veteran of our industry with decades of experience culminating most recently as area vice president for Hyatt Hotels Hawaii and more than four years as the general manager of the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort. He has lived and worked extensively in Hawai'i and truly exemplifies what it means to be kamaʻāina. Joko has always been active in our community, serving twice as HLTA chairperson, as a board member of both the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association and the Wailea Community Association, and as a member of the advisory council for the University of Hawai'i College of Business Travel Industry Management program. As HLTA's chairperson, he led us through an unprecedented pandemic with quiet but steadfast leadership, and I could not be more grateful for such an excellent chairperson and partner to work with throughout the worst days of COVID-19. Though he will soon be leaving the islands, I know this is not a final goodbye. As 'a hui hou' really means: until we meet again. In short- to Michael and Debbie, from all of your colleagues and friends at HLTA, we say: Aloha Later!     Mahalo,
Mufi House Bill 1286Aloha, Yesterday, House Bill 1286, HD2, which codified statewide travel rules, was deferred during a joint hearing of the Senate Energy, Economic Development, & Tourism, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, & Military Affairs, and Health Committees. In our most recent testimony on the measure, we indicated our continued support for the establishment of statewide rules and also suggested the addition of language that would create a "vaccine passport" that would allow vaccinated travelers to travel freely to and around Hawai'i. Hawai'i, first starting with interisland flights. There was significant testimony supporting the measure, and we were grateful for those who showed up to provide verbal comments. Unfortunately, Senate Tourism Chair Glenn Wakai noted on behalf of the hearing's co-chairs, Senators Clarence Nishihara and Jarrett Keohokalole, that a significant number of concerns and questions was reason enough to defer HB1286, HD2. Although this is not the way we had hoped this hearing would play out, we knew from the very beginning that this measure faced an uphill battle to passage in the Senate. In fact, it's worth noting that the initial referral for the bill in the Senate did not even include the Tourism Committee. Despite this setback, the spirit of HB1286 is still alive. In yesterday's meeting of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic & Financial Preparedness, Rep. Linda Ichiyama reported that the language originally found in HB1286 has been inserted into Senate Bill 266 which will next be heard by the Committee on Finance before going to conference committee. As I noted in comments to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a vaccine passport may be the key to recovering our economy through tourism, and the issue merits further discussion and consideration. It is important to note that a vaccine exemption would not only benefit tourists but also local residents who could utilize it to travel between counties to visit their 'ohana or even seek medical care. HLTA recognizes the importance of quickly and adequately vaccinating the local populace and our industry's workforce, and we are continuing to work closely with the State Department of Health to achieve this. Hawaii News Now Interview  Early this morning I joined Hawaii News Now's Samie Molina at the airport to discuss the recent surge in visitors that we have been experiencing. It was great to be able to share with viewers the optimism that many in our industry are beginning to feel. Whether it be from starting the vaccination process, or lodging properties being able to bring their associates back to work, our local tourism industry is definitely on the upswing and, after a year of depressed travel, this optimism could not be more welcome. Other Media That May Interest YouOver the weekend, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ran two articles from Waikiki Bureau Chief Allison Schaefers that recapped our 3rd Annual Visitor Public Safety Conference and drilled down into some of the critical issues that were raised at this year's event.
"Crime rates in Waikiki have plummeted and police and visitor industry leaders want to keep it that way," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 21, 2021 It was outstanding coverage for our first-ever virtual event during which our speakers and panelists focused on myriad issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness, illegal gambling, and human trafficking. As a reminder, you can view the recording of the entire conference here. "Visitor industry on the lookout for sex trafficking, gambling in Waikiki," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 21, 2021 Hawaii News Now also ran a report that delved into the issue of masks and the perception that it's only tourists who aren't wearing them. I was grateful to see that Chelsea Davis rounded out the piece by noting that mask mandate offenders are both travelers and residents alike. Let's make sure we continue to be vigilant in reminding our guests and associates of the importance of wearing our masks and maintaining social distancing. "Amid a boom in visitors, Waikiki also sees an increase in people not wearing masks," Hawaii News Now, March 22, 2021 Mahalo, Mufi Visitor Public Safety ConferenceAloha, Earlier this week, we hosted our third annual Visitor Public Safety Conference via Zoom. Made possible in partnership with the Waikiki Improvement Association, the Waikiki Business Improvement District Association, the Hawai‘i Hotel Visitor Industry Security Association, Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i, and the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai‘i, the conference featured a slate of speakers and panelists from a variety of backgrounds including state and county government, law enforcement, the visitor industry, and the nonprofit sector. As you know, past iterations of the VPSC have brought together community stakeholders and policymakers who were able to enact meaningful changes on various issues. Over the past few days, we have been working to distill the information gleaned from the conference in order to identify the key areas upon which to focus. Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard kicked off the morning by raising two longstanding topics that affect the travel industry and the Waikiki neighborhood in general: human trafficking and homelessness. Human trafficking is an issue that those of us in the lodging industry are uniquely positioned to help tackle and an area that HLTA has focused its efforts on in the past. You may recall that we partnered with Ho'ōla Nā Pua to host a series of symposiums in each of the four counties that provided hotel staff with tools and strategies to identify and report suspected instances of human trafficking. Using what we learned during these sessions, HLTA issued its Human Trafficking Disruption Plan in January of 2020. On the homelessness front, HPD Major Mark Criccio used the VPSC as an opportunity to announce a new program to address public safety in Waikiki. The P.E.A.C.E program (Proactive Enforcement Against Criminal Elements), is a two-tiered approach to tackling chronic issues within the district, most notably homelessness. The first tier is education and outreach. Any time that a homeless individual is observed breaking the law for the first time, they will be offered access to social services through organizations such as IHS and the Hawai'i Health & Harm Reduction Center. This could include anything from medical care to being assisted in obtaining identification. In the first six weeks of the program, P.E.A.C.E officers made meaningful contacts with 144 individuals in the Waikiki area. Of these, 70 accepted help or accessed needed services. The second tier is zero tolerance enforcement. If an individual refuses help during their first contact with HPD and are observed breaking the law again, they will be immediately cited or arrested. In the time since the program's inception, P.E.A.C.E officers have issued 425 citations and made 61 arrests. In a follow-up meeting with District 6 Captain Herbert Soria and Acting Lieutenant Blake Arita, the initiative's founder, we also learned that HPD has built close relationships with ABC Stores and is looking to do likewise with other business partners in the Waikiki area. Our VPSC Planning Committee will met next week to discuss how we, as a community, can follow-up and follow through on the things we learned from this year's conference. I've shared a recording of the VPSC above. You'll be able to listen to remarks from Lt. Gov. Josh Green, HI-EMA Director General Kenneth Hara, Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Senate Tourism Chair Glenn Wakai, House Tourism Chair Richard Onishi, and Council Chair Tommy Waters. You will also be able to watch panel discussions covering everything from youth crime, to homelessness, to COVID-19. Watching the recording of this year's conference will truly give you a sense of how diverse and knowledgeable our speakers are. Vaccination WebinarsYesterday, we joined HTA and the Department of Health to host two webinars aimed at familiarizing general managers, executives, and HR directors with the processes needed to sign their associates up for a vaccination appointment. DOH Deputy Director Cathy Ross led these discussions and detailed the options that hospitality industry members have to seek out a vaccination.
She also answered numerous questions covering a wide range of subjects pertaining to the vaccination and simplified the process for us all. A video recording of the event is linked above and is also posted on HLTA's website homepage. It is a relatively short webinar, and I highly encourage you to take some time to watch it. Mahalo, Mufi Vaccination WebinarsAloha, The early reports regarding the vaccination of local hospitality workers has been outstanding. I am beyond pleased that so many of the men and women who represent the backbone of our industry are actively seeking out the vaccination so quickly. As a reminder, appointments are contingent upon local vaccine supply, so, if your associates haven't been able to get an appointment, please continue to encourage them to check online or call for openings. Despite the early success of Phase-1C of the vaccination schedule, HLTA and HTA will still be co-sponsoring two webinars that will be held tomorrow with Department of Health Deputy Director Cathy Ross. These webinars are aimed at hotel GMs, HR directors, and those Allied members who will be scheduling vaccinations for their staff. Originally slated to specifically discuss the logistics of the vaccine rollout, the webinar will now also allow for Deputy Director Ross to answer questions about the ongoing process. These webinars have been scheduled for March 18, 2021 at the following times:
Woman of the Year  HLTA Women in Lodging & Tourism Committee Advisory Board Members from left: Ameresco Account Executive Dricka Thobois, Residence Inn by Marriott Oahu Kapolei Director of Sales & Marketing Kelly Kitashima, 2021 Woman of the Year Julie Morikawa from ClimbHI, International Market Place General Manager Breana Grosz, HVCB Director of Membership Karen Wataru Nakaoka, and Marriott Vacations Worldwide Market General Manager Angela Nolan who raised their glasses to WIL's Woman of the Year at virtual venue sponsor International Market Place. Congratulations to HLTA's Women in Lodging & Tourism Committee, led by HLTA Board Member Angela Nolan, on their wonderful virtual event that honored 2021 Woman of the Year Julie Morikawa, the president and executive director of ClimbHI. No stranger to Hawaii’s hospitality industry, her local nonprofit organization works to inspire students to finish high school and pursue higher education by exposing them to possible career paths and the processes necessary to achieve these goals. This year's iteration of our annual event raised monies to benefit ClimbHI and National Public Radio. It included music from 'Elua Kane and guest mixologist Alicia Yamachika who crafted a cocktail for the evening’s festivities. Welcome! Please join me in giving a warm welcome to our newest HLTA board member Ha'aheo Zablan. Ha'aheo is the general manager of the Kaimana Beach Hotel and has an extensive history in our local lodging industry including stints at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, 'Aulani, and the Kahala Resort & Hotel. He took over the top job at the Kaimana Beach Hotel in 2020, and we are looking forward to working closely with him in the future.
Mahalo, Mufi VaccinationsAloha, Earlier today, HTA President & CEO John De Fries and I met with Department of Health Deputy Director Cathy Ross to discuss the logistics of the vaccine roll-out for hospitality workers which is slated to begin on Monday to coincide with the transition to Phase-1C. After conferring with her, it was ultimately decided that all HLTA members- including Allied members- should submit their lists of prioritized employees to our office as soon as possible. Please include the legal name, phone number, email address, and the home zip code for every employee as this will help DOH schedule these workers for an appointment at a vaccination pod near their residence. Lists may be submitted to covidupdates@hawaiilodging.org at any time. **Note: Even if you have already submitted an employee list to DOH, please email your list to HLTA anyway. This will help to lessen any possibility of your employees inadvertently slipping through the cracks. As I reported earlier this week, HLTA had been working closely with HTA and DOH to prioritize our workers in the State's vaccination schedule and were keenly focused on the actual logistics of the vaccine roll-out. We had scheduled and confirmed two webinars with Deputy Director Ross that were to be aimed at providing GMs and HR directors with the information needed to schedule upcoming vaccinations for their staff. However, in light of the recent announcement by the State regarding the vaccination schedule, these webinars will now take a slightly different tack, and Deputy Director Ross will not only cover logistics, but also field any questions regarding the vaccination process. These webinars have been scheduled in conjunction with HTA for March 18, 2021 at the following times:
Tier 3 AmendmentsYesterday, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced adjustments to Tier 3 in Honolulu's recovery plan. Per his announcement, there are several significant changes:
VPSC We are less than a week away from our 3rd Annual Visitor Public Safety Conference, and we are pleased to see so many of you have already registered for the event. This year, we have an especially outstanding cast of speakers and panels, and it stands to be our most successful VPSC to date. In addition to our individual speakers which include Lt. Gov. Josh Green, Mayor Rick Blangiardi, HPD Chief Susan Ballard, Council Chair Tommy Waters, Senate Tourism Chair Glenn Wakai, and House Tourism Chair Richard Onishi among others, attendees will also be able to view and participate in the following discussion panels:
Mahalo, Mufi Safe Travels ProgramAloha,
Yesterday, the news broke that Kaua'i Mayor Derek Kawakami proposed Rule 25 which would allow the Garden Isle to officially rejoin the Safe Travels program effective April 10. In the past two days since the announcement, new bookings have already begun in earnest, clearly demonstrating the pent up demand that exists out on the travel market right now. Kudos to the HLTA members, especially those in our Kaua'i chapter, and our local Kaua'i business partners with whom we have been working together. That being said, there is a great deal of work that must be completed and preparations that must be made in the next month for many properties as they look to re-open. Perhaps most important is the need for every lodging property to submit to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority a health and safety plan. To determine if your property has already done this, you can visit the Health & Safety Standards tab on our website or click here. As a reminder, please also feel free to use HLTA's Health, Safety, & Security Standards if your safety plan needs fine tuning. You can download the PDF of our standards here. All plans must be emailed to hotelcovidplans@gohta.net. Rest assured that Mayor Kawakami and his administration will continue to do all that they can to protect their community. He has rightfully prioritized the vaccination of hospitality workers, as he commented yesterday, and, to his credit, has proclaimed that the entire island should be vaccinated by April. We must now wait for Gov. Ige to officially approve Mayor Kawakami's request, but I am confident that he will make a decision on the issue soon. In the meantime, it is important that we continue to be vigilant in heeding public health mandates and do all that we can to avoid another uptick in COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks. Mahalo, Mufi Advocacy 101  Aloha! HLTA's Restaurant, Food & Beverage and Agricultural Committee will hold the second episode of its inaugural webinar series tomorrow at 4 p.m. This free event entitled, Advocacy 101, will explore how a critical part of Hawai‘i’s hospitality industry can work together to become a stronger voice and resource of information for both our policy makers and the community as a whole. This episode will feature key industry leaders and stakeholders who will examine the following:
I hope to see you there! COVID-19 CommentaryThe Honolulu Star-Advertiser's editorial staff issued a new piece this morning that echoes some of the statements that I have been making not only about the pandemic, but also on our path forward as we continue to deal and manage this health crisis successfully and transition to a more robust economic recovery phase. Outrigger’s Jeff Wagoner, who offered some excellent observations during the Spotlight forum that he and I participated in, was also quoted in the editorial. "Editorial: Making tourism more enlightened," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 2, 2021 Also in the Star-Advertiser yesterday was the first installment of a two-article series that featured different local leaders and their reflections on the past year that has seen our community struggle with a pandemic and an unprecedented economic downturn. You can read, in their own words, insights from individuals like Gov. David Ige, Lt. Gov. Josh Green, as well as others including yours truly. "A year of COVID-19: Key leaders in Hawaii’s pandemic response recall the challenges they faced," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, February 28, 2021 *The second installment of the series will be posted later today. Vaccine ClassificationYou may have heard late last week that the American Hotel & Lodging Association began a nationwide campaign to urge governors to classify all hospitality workers in Phase-1B of the vaccination schedule, and New York quickly announced that the state's hotel workers would be moved up in the vaccination schedule. On Saturday, HLTA Chair Cheryl Williams, most recent past Chair Michael Jokovich, and I sent a letter to Gov. Ige that notified him of the AHLA campaign, the resulting NY decision, and reiterated our request to have our people moved up in the State's vaccination schedule. As you are aware, John De Fries and I are engaged in substantive ongoing discussions with the Department of Health on this matter of extreme importance to our industry here. Safe Travels ProgramOur offices were recently notified that hotels and ground transportation services have begun reaching out to the Office of the Attorney General to clarify a traveler's status. We have been asked to relay to you that all inquiries of this nature should instead be routed to the Safe Travels Digital Platform Technical Service Desk.
The phone number for this desk is: 1-855-599-0888 They are open from 10 a.m. through 10 p.m., and any calls outside of these hours will be able to leave a voicemail. They will be able to remotely screen the traveler. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our offices at any time. Mahalo, Mufi House Bill 1286Aloha, Today, the House Finance Committee heard House Bill 1286, HD2. After extensive testimony, the measure was passed by the committee. As we expected, there was some opposition to the measure with Representatives Bertrand Kobayashi, Tina Wildberger, and Amy Perruso voting against the bill. However, the vast majority of the House Finance Committee expressed their support with a vote of 12 ayes and 3 nos. This bill will now be sent to the House floor for third reading before crossing over to the Senate for further consideration. I truly appreciate how active and responsive our members and industry partners have been throughout the legislative process thus far. You have submitted numerous iterations of written testimony and many have also provided oral testimony in support of this measure. Mahalo to the following individuals who were able to testify via Zoom during today's committee hearing:
As the HB1286, HD2 travels to the Senate, we anticipate the second half of the legislative process to be a challenging task. We will continue to keep you abreast of any developments as they occur and encourage your ongoing participation in our advocacy efforts. Vaccine ClassificationAs you may have heard, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recently clarified its vaccine prioritization to include the "Traveler Accommodation" category in Phase-1C. We are pleased that, after working closely with AHLA, the CDC has made this amendment to protect the countless hospitality workers who are currently working during a pandemic throughout the nation. On the local front, HLTA has been working closely with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and the Hawai‘i State Department of Health on the process in which our hospitality workers will be scheduled for vaccination. We have been assured that our industry members would start vaccinations in the 1C category at the very least, and some may actually start sooner than that depending on the available supply. As it currently stands, Hawai‘i is in Phase-1B of the vaccination schedule. Spotlight HawaiiYesterday, Outrigger President & CEO Jeff Wagoner and I joined the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for its ongoing Spotlight Hawai'i series to discuss a number of topics currently surrounding the local tourism industry. In addition to providing an update on the current state of affairs for the local travel industry, Jeff and I were able to discuss a number of topics including statewide travel rules and the possibility of Hawai'i establishing a vaccine passport program that would allow vaccinated travelers to be exempt from the quarantine process. It was a great discussion that you can watch in its entirety by clicking the video above. The Big Picture The second episode of a special, two-part series of webinars hosted by HLTA's Restaurant, Food & Beverage and Agricultural Committee will be held next Tuesday, March 2 at 4 p.m.
Hosted by our Restaurant, Food & Beverage and Agricultural Committee, this free event entitled, Advocacy 101, will explore how a critical part of Hawai‘i’s hospitality industry can work together to become a stronger voice and resource of information for our policy makers and the community. This episode will feature key industry leaders and stakeholders who will examine the following:
Hope to see you there! -Mufi |
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