Mufi's Message - May 12, 2021

Vaccine Passports

Aloha,

Yesterday, the State officially kicked off the vaccine passport exemption for the Safe Travels program. This is a concept of which we have been vocal proponents, and we are extremely pleased that the day is finally here.

As you may recall, the vaccine passport allows for individuals who were fully vaccinated in Hawai'i and have waited the requisite two weeks after their last dose to travel freely around the state without needing a pre-arrival test or a mandatory quarantine period. I felt strongly from the very beginning that debuting vaccine passports for Hawai'i residents was the best course of action for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it would allow vaccinated locals that ability to travel from county to county for any number of reasons. Secondly, it would allow those who oversee the Safe Travels program an opportunity to stress test the vaccine passport program on a smaller group of individuals rather than opening the floodgates right at the onset.

"Interisland travel vaccine exemptions commence," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, May 12, 2021

In the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's coverage today, Waikiki Bureau Chief Allison Schaefers spoke to interisland travelers who utilized the system as well as travel industry leaders who echoed my optimism but were also pragmatic about the effect that this will have on the tourism industry as a whole. While this is a great moment of progress, our goal is still to re-establish hassle-free travel for trans-Pacific visitors as soon as it is possible to safely do so.

GMM 2021

REGISTER HERE

We are pleased to officially announce that our 194th General Membership Meeting  will be held in person at the beautiful Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort. This year, our signature event will run from October 14 through October 16 and will feature a bevy of speakers, learning sessions, networking opportunities, and our ever-popular Sponsor Showcase.

Our conference fee this year will be $425 per person including all of our plenary sessions, evening dinner receptions, and Saturday's Lunch & Learn (optional Wednesday golf and Friday Lunch & Learn are also available). We are also offering a special early registration rate of $400 per person for those who register between now and May 31.

Over the coming weeks we will continue to share with you more details on the GMM schedule and our slate of events, including Sponsor Showcase registration, which will open June 1st. In the meantime, please take advantage of the special room rate of $359/night with waived resort fee. You can make your reservations at this link.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact HLTA Director of Membership & Special Projects at ayonamine@hawaiilodging.org. 

*All members must be in good standing to attend GMM. ​

Andaz Maui at Wailea Reservation Link

Mahalo,
​Mufi