Mufi's Message - June 27

COVID-19 Update

Aloha,
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We are just a few days removed from Governor Ige's announcement that trans-Pacific travel will be restored on August 1. Properties around the state are currently weighing the various pros and cons of reopening in just over a month. Others are hurrying to prepare their properties and train their staffs for the new normal.

On the HLTA front, I have been as active as possible in the media sharing the precautions that our industry is taking to protect visitors and our brothers and sisters who comprise our local workforce. Please see the links below.
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"Will Hawaii’s new reopening plan be enough to lure back wary tourists?," Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2020
"Hotel industry gears up for lift of trans-Pacific travel restrictions," KHON2, June 25, 2020
"Officials say marketing Hawaii to tourists will probably be different," KHON2, June 25, 2020
"Testing ramps up, but reopening Hawaii still proves challenging," KITV4, June 27, 2020

Commercial Rent Survey

Island Business Management, LLC is conducting a survey to analyze the effects that COVID-19 has had on commercial rental properties. For more details, please see the letter from IBM Hawai'i President Ryan Tanaka which I have reproduced below.

Aloha,

We are conducting a survey to analyze the pandemic hardship members of our business community are facing for commercial rent.  The purpose of this survey is to develop data to present to government leaders as they work to provide help and solutions to this hardship.

This survey was designed in partnership with the Department of Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT), NAIOP Hawaii, the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Hawaii Restaurant Association, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Hotel Lodging & Tourism Association, Hawaii Executive Collaborative, First Hawaiian Bank, Central Pacific Bank, American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaii, Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union, and Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union, among others.  The survey is anonymous and only aggregated totals and averages calculated from all the respondents will be compiled for the analysis.  Individual company data collected by this survey will remain strictly CONFIDENTIAL. 
 
In collaboration with elected officials and community stakeholders, a broad group of representatives from the business community prepared a Legislative Proposal in May called the Occupancy Relief Program, which was designed to pass rent relief forward.  Congressional Representatives have stepped up to help interpret the flexibility for stimulus spending to allow for these types of programs to serve as an essential catalyst to unite small business tenants and landlords.  These programs are small steps for landlords and tenants to open positive dialogue, work together to reopen, and move forward into the new normal.  Without help, the burden of old lease rents are unbearable.  
 
If you feel someone else in your organization can better answer these survey questions, please feel free to forward the link to that person.  Surveys must be completed by no later than 12:00 midnight Wednesday, July 8, 2020.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ryan Tanaka at [email protected].  

Please accept our sincere mahalo for your help in this important matter.  

Sincerely,
 
Ryan Tanaka
President
Island Business Management, LLC

Please continue to watch over yourself, your 'ohana, and your staff. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

Mahalo,
​Mufi