When Will Hawaii’s Tourism Industry Reopen?

A university of Hawaii“>Hawaii at Mānoa virtual series for the reopening of Hawaii‘s Tourism Industry kicked off on September 29 with a discussion attended by five community leaders.

The Goal of the Free Series – Hosted by the Shidler College of Business Alumni Association and Travel Industry Management (Tim) International, the alumni association of the TIM School – aims to stimulate ideas that can be implemented by Hawaii Businesses, tourism stakeholders, hospitality workers and the general public.

The first session “Restart Hawaii‘s Tourism Industry,” introduced the newly appointed John De Fries Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) President & CEO; Derek Kawakami, County Kauai Mayor; Sherry Menor-McNamara, President of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce and CEO ; pono shim, Oahu President of the Economic Development Committee and CEO; and Glenn Wakai, Hawaii State Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee for Economic Development, Tourism and Technology.

De Fries, who started his current position at HTA said Sept. 16 the path to reopening tourism is to flatten the COVID-19 curve. “This pandemic has actually brought a hospital into the hospitality industry because it has prompted us to increase our standards of hygiene, disinfection and sterilization. Committing to flattening the curve permanently is the only way industry can get under it and government leaders can get under it and rebuild an economy that is in a total state of collapse.”

Kawakami said reopening tourism is about prioritizing the health and safety of residents and it’s important to develop trust during the decision-making process. He also continued to talk about possible resort bubbles Kauai as an alternative plan. “When it was pushed back from August 1st we said straight away that it’s clearer that we need to start developing some contingency plans. The resort bubble model is basically just a plan B…if we need to move slowly, this is a model that will work. If we ever need to open up and slowly withdraw, this is a model that is more acceptable than the 14-day forced quarantine.”

Menor-McNamara stressed personal responsibility and the dangers of another shutdown Oahu“>Oahu‘s local businesses. “Now that we have another chance to get this right – because we can’t afford a third shutdown – we take our personal responsibilities seriously and take responsibility. And that goes for businesses too, making sure you implement proper health and safety protocols to protect your employees, as well as your customers and clients.”

To increase personal responsibility, Shim proposed a connection versus correction perspective. “We have become a society that is so focused on how we correct, but not working the muscles of the connection. If we believe that we can share it in a way that connects and allows people to see the impact we’re having, then maybe we’ll start changing our own behavior.”

Wakai is concerned about the pre-trip testing program, which begins Oct. 15, and said there was still business to be done Hawaii. And for 2021, Wakai said there’s still a long way to go to bring the visitor industry back. “If I had to set our own pace, I would try to figure out how we’re going transpacific from the mainland before we even start talking about bubbles with Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand or anywhere else.”

Upcoming webinar topics

The series continues every Tuesday through November 10th. Each webinar covers a different industry topic, e.g. B. Tourism, Health & Safety, Airlines, Hotels, Retail, Restaurants and a focus on Japan.

Visit the Shidler College of Business website for more information and registration.

  • 6 October: Address health security, technology and policy innovation
  • 13 October: Aviation Industry Impact and Prognosis
  • October 20: Hotel industry impact and forecast
  • October 27: Recovery of travel from Japan
  • November 3: Impact and Forecast of the Retail and Mall Industry
  • November 10: Restaurant and Food Industry Impact and Forecast

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