Mufi's Message - June 25

Public Safety Working Group

From left: WIA President Rick Egged, HPD Major Mark Cricchio, HHVISA President Jerry Dolak, Council Chair Tommy Waters, Honolulu Prosecutor Steven Alm, HPD Interim Chief Rade Vanic, Managing Director Michael Formby, VASH President & CEO Jessica Lani Rich, HPD Acting Deputy Chief Lisa Mann, Prosecuting Attorney Senior Advisor Cheryl Inouye, City Office of Housing & Homelessness Executive Director Anton Krucky, and Retail Merchants of Hawai'i President Tina Yamaki.

​Aloha,

On Wednesday, HLTA, HHVISA, WBIDA, and WIA brought together a working group focused on public safety. In light of the recent surge in crime in the Waikiki area, I felt it was important that we, as a community and as an industry, got out in front of this issue before it truly spirals out of control.

Speakers for the day included:

• Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters
• HPD Interim Chief Rade Vanic
  • Acting Deputy of Field Operations Lisa Mann
  • Waikiki Major Mark Criccio
• Honolulu Prosecutor Steven Alm
• Managing Director Michael Formby
  • City Office of Housing & Homelessness Director Anton Krucky
  • City Emergency Services Department Director Dr. James Ireland
  • Acting EMS Chief Chris Sloman
  • Chief of Ocean Safety John Titchen

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Styled after HLTA's Visitor Public Safety Conference, Wednesday's working group brought together members of the tourism industry, the business and nonprofit sectors, government leaders, and members of the Waikiki community to discuss the various issues facing Waikiki and the island as a whole. It was an especially productive morning that saw numerous proposed initiatives and strategies that we, as a group, will now work to implement.

Mahalo to all who were in attendance both in-person and via Zoom!

Trans-Pacific Vaccine Exemptions
To Begin July 8th

On July 8th, Hawai'i will begin to allow travelers from the continental U.S. who can prove that they are fully vaccinated to bypass the pre-arrival testing protocols and the mandatory 10-day quarantine period. As you can imagine, this bodes extremely well for the industry and the local economy as a whole.

As I noted in comments to KHON2's Manolo Morales yesterday, the benefits to this development are myriad. First and foremost, the decision to open our doors to vaccinated travelers was tied directly to local vaccination rates which signifies not only that we are ready for travelers to come here, but also that we are a safe and healthy destination to which visitors can travel.

Additionally, making it easier for vaccinated tourists to get to Hawai'i will certainly result in positive growth for the entire economy. This will not only be relegated to airlines and hotels, but will also include all of the adjacent businesses that rely upon tourism. We are also nearing the full restoration of various niche areas of our industry like banquets, weddings, and conventions which will also have a positive effect on all types of businesses like caterers, florists, event planners, and more.

Finally, this expected uptick in business and the increasing vaccination rates will allow us to bring more of our people back safely back to their jobs. Steady, regular business for all aspects of hotel operations will ultimately mean reliable work opportunities for many associates who may still be on furlough. All in all, Gov. Ige's announcement was welcome news, and we are all looking forward to the 8th.

Mahalo,
​Mufi