Mufi's Message - December 1, 2020

HLTA Golf Tournament

Aloha,

We are pleased to announce that our 2021 HLTA Golf Tournament is officially scheduled for January 21, 2021 at Pearl Country Club! Our 2021 golf event will be a fundraiser to benefit HLTA and assist us with operating costs.

We will be adhering to all State and county guidelines regarding COVID-19 mitigation and are looking forward to having everybody together again. Registration will open next week. Please mark your calendar and keep the date open!

Media Items

​A few days ago, I appeared on KHON2's Living808 segment to talk story with Tannya Joaquin about our Mākaukau campaign and the various steps Hawai'i's tourism industry has undertaken to safeguard the health of our travelers, hospitality industry employees, and our local populace. As you may know, this campaign was formed through a unique partnership between HLTA, the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and the Hawai'i Agricultural Foundation. What started as an idea from our initial meetings grew into support from a wide range of businesses and stakeholders from around the state. 

Today on the Mākaukau website, you can access countless resources as well as a listing of the hotels and resorts that are open and ready to serve today.

Late last month, I joined host Brickwood Galuteria on his show, Kūpuna Power, for a great discussion that you can watch here that was filmed at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort (Please click Episode 15). Kūpuna Power was started back in 2012 as an annual event meant to empower local kūpuna with knowledge on important topics as they relate to everyday life. 

Other media items that may interest you:
"House Speaker: Changing Hawaii’s Pre-Travel Testing Program ‘Doesn’t Serve The Public’," Civil Beat, November 24, 2020
"Some travelers frustrated with having to show negative COVID-19 test prior to departure," KHON2, November 25, 2020
"Debate Continues Over Balancing Economic Recovery And Public Health," November 26, 2020
"Business leaders, legislators urge governor to rethink new restrictions on pre-travel testing program," HNN, November 30, 2020

Commercial Rent Survey

Island Business Management President Ryan Tanaka recently announced the third iteration of the Commercial Rent Survey which HLTA has sponsored in the past. For the first time, this survey will be shared nationwide. To participate, please visit this link. The survey will run from today through December 18 with the findings being shared in January 2021.

These surveys are used to gather and collate important economic data that can be used to propose vital economic policy from State, county, and now federal legislative bodies. The last survey found the following information which you may find interesting:

• Four in 10 businesses have not paid their rent in full.
• Three in 10 businesses expect to miss three full rent payments between October and December 2020.
• Tourism accounts for at least one quarter of the overall revenue of 42 percent of businesses.
• 86 percent of businesses expect their annual revenue to decrease in 2020, and 82 percent to decrease in 2021.
• Only 11 percent of businesses received rent reduction.
• Only 5 percent of businesses were able to restructure their lease.

Mahalo,
​Mufi