Mufi's Message - September 7, 2020

Aloha,

Last week, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg stated on a Facebook Live appearance that Hawai'i would not be ready for tourists until January. He also incorrectly reported that the group lobbying hardest to this effect were the hotels themselves. It caused quite a stir amongst our members...As you well know, HLTA's position is not only that we are ready to welcome guests back, but that we have taken every precaution to keep guests safe once they arrive and that our colleagues and co-workers health and safety is also of utmost importance. 

As such, I sent the following message to Mr. Greenberg earlier today:

Aloha Mr. Greenberg,
 
My name is Mufi Hannemann and I serve as the president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA). We are the state of Hawai‘i’s largest private sector visitor industry organization representing 700 members, 50,000 hotel rooms, and 40,000 lodging associates.
 
I was recently pointed to your September 3rd Facebook Live where you stated that Hawai‘i will not be ready for travelers until January, and that the group lobbying hardest to this effect are the hotels themselves. 
 
As someone with decades of experience in our market and working relationships with our tourism sector’s stakeholders and government officials, I could not disagree with this statement more. This sentiment that I've expressed has also been echoed by several of our local hoteliers. It has always been a private decision on the part of the individual hotels whether they remain open or shuttered during this pandemic crisis. 
 
HLTA recently conducted a statewide survey of hotel properties. As of the end of August, 136 hotels remained open despite our mandatory quarantine period and a severe decrease in visitor arrivals. This represents 60.7% of all the properties that participated in the survey.
 
Hawai‘i’s tourism industry is not biding its time. Our goal has always been to re-establish both trans-Pacific and international travel as soon as it is feasibly possible. We are not merely seeking a short-term solution; we are looking to retain and solidify our status as a premier destination to which visitors can safely and confidently travel.
 
To this effect, you should also know that HLTA has developed health and hygiene standards to which we have asked all local hotels to adhere. These were created after reviewing the latest information from the WHO, CDC, and OSHA, before a draft was ultimately shared with our state Department of Health for its input. HLTA’s standards received DOH approval and are already being implemented at the vast majority of hotel properties around our state.
 
Secondly, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige’s latest emergency proclamation allowed for the establishment of resort bubbles, and I strongly believe that this will be a positive step forward for Hawai‘i. Next week, film production for the “Temptation Island” TV show will begin at a resort on Maui. The entire production crew will be subjected to strict testing and self-quarantine protocols before being allowed into the resort bubble. Once there, they will remain in the bubble until the production is complete. This production alone will provide more than 100 film crew jobs and will bring countless hospitality workers back to their old jobs. Moreover, it will serve as a proving ground for both HLTA and hotel brand hygiene standards and is already resulting in more film productions looking to return to Hawai‘i.
 
The “Temptation Island” production also makes clear that local hotels are willing to open their doors at almost any occupancy level. Our industry strongly believes that opening for even a small number of visitors will lead to increased confidence in the experience that we provide, and that the number of visitor arrivals will slowly continue to rise from there. To be frank, regardless of whether or not the October 1st date gets pushed back further, we will continue to advocate for Hawai’i to open up safely and start to welcome travelers back. It does not matter if this is at occupancy levels as low as 20% as you have referenced. Our view, which is shared by the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, is that our local economy will not recover robustly unless tourism comes back in a safe and productive manner.
 
In the future, please feel free to contact me should you require further insight into Hawai‘i’s tourism sector and economy. You have thousands of viewers who respect your opinion and may base their travel decisions on your analysis.

I can be reached at [email protected] at any time.
 
Mahalo,
Mufi Hannemann
President & CEO
Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association

​I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day holiday.

Mahalo, 
​Mufi