Mufi's Message - June 24

Gov. Ige Announcement

Aloha,This afternoon, Governor David Ige officially announced that, beginning on August 1, travelers who have been tested and confirmed negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to travel to Hawai'i without being subjected to the mandatory 14-day quarantine which will remain in effect for the time being.

The following press release was issued by HLTA immediately following Gov. Ige's press conference:

HLTA President & CEO Mufi Hannemann
Statement on Gov. David Ige Press Conference

HONOLULU – “Hawai'i’s visitor industry thanks Governor David Ige, Lt. Governor Josh Green and the administration, the Hawai'i State legislature, and each of the county mayors for their tireless work to reopen Hawai'i to travelers who want to come to Hawai'i in a safe and responsible manner. The governor’s announcement represents a clear shift for our local community from one of virus mitigation to one of recovery and regrowth.

I must reiterate, however, that we are far from being out of the woods yet. Gov. Ige’s announcement will not result in an overnight return to the record visitor arrivals that we experienced in 2019- it simply will not happen. The road to recovery will be much more daunting and challenging than flattening the curve. I am proud to say that our local tourism stakeholders are committed to this recovery process and will continue their efforts to ensure the safety not only of visitors, but also the thousands of men and women who comprise our industry’s workforce.”

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I have continually pushed for our local leaders to provide us with a clear timetable for reopening that would allow local hotel operations to put necessary plans into place to protect both our visitors and our local hospitality workers. To say that I am pleased that Gov. Ige has finally provided this to us would be an understatement. As we are all aware, this is just the beginning of our recovery. The hard work begins now. We have a difficult road ahead, but I am certain that we can navigate this time of recovery if we continue to work together.

If you have any questions about today's announcement, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff at any time.

Mahalo,
​Mufi