? Hawai’i stay tryin’ figure out how fo’ charge fees fo’ all da eco-tourists comin’ fo’ enjoy da beauty of our islands. Da reason? Koa’ko, get plenny kine tings fo’ take care, like fixin’ coral reefs aftah boats wen run aground, watchin’ fo’ swimmahs bothah dolphins an’ turtles, an’ protecting native trees from one mean fungus outbreak. So dey figgah, maybe da tourists can kokua an’ help wit’ da costs. ???
Gov. Josh Green stay sayin’ he like make da travelers mo’ accountable an’ help pay fo’ da impact dey get on Hawai’i. Wit’ like nine to ten million visitors a year, but only 1.4 million people living hea, da tourists can help us keep our ‘aina all nice an’ healthy. ?️??
Right now, da lawmakers stay talkin’ story ’bout one bill dat would require da tourists fo’ pay fo’ one year-long license or pass fo’ visit our state parks an’ trails. Dey still figgah out how much fo’ charge, tho. Gov. Green wen campaign fo’ one $50 fee fo’ all tourists enterin’ da state, but da legislators tink might be one kine pilikia wit’ da U.S. Constitution, so dey tinkin’ parks an’ trails pass instead. Nevah happen befo’ in any U.S. state, dis kine ting. ?️??
Hawai’i stay followin’ da lead of oddah touris’ hotspots, like Venice, Italy, an’ Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, dat wen charge similar fees o’ taxes. Palau, one Pacific island nation, charge $100 fo’ incoming international passengers fo’ help manage dea marine sanctuary an’ promote ecotourism. ?????
State Rep. Sean Quinlan, one Democra’ an’ chair of da House Tourism Committee, say da reason behind dis new kine plan stay cuz da travel patta’ns stay changin’. Golf rounds per visitor per day wen go down 30% in da last ten years, but hiking wen go up 50%. Plus, people stay lookin’ fo’ new places dey see on top social media, an’ da state no get enough kala fo’ manage all dem spots. ?️♂️?♀️?
Befo’, tourists wen come wit’ dea family, go one o’ two famous beaches, an’ visit Pearl Harbor. Now, dey stay checkin’ all kine Instagram posts an’ lookin’ fo’ da hidden gems like rope swings an’ coconut trees. All da places dat nevah had visitors befo’, get visitors now. ?️??
Most state parks an’ trails stay free right now, but some stay charging already, like Diamond Head State Monument, where get one trail goin’ from da floo’ of one 300,000-year-old volcanic crater to da top. Costs $5 fo’ each visitor, an’ gets about 1 million visitors each year. ??
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?? Paying for Paradise: Hawaii Considers Charging Fees for Eco-Tourists! ?️?
? Hawaii is trying to figure out how to charge fees for all the eco-tourists coming to enjoy the beauty of our islands. The reason? Well, there are plenty of things to take care of, like repairing coral reefs after boats have run aground, monitoring swimmers bothering dolphins and turtles, and protecting native trees from a dangerous fungus outbreak. So they believe, maybe the tourists can help out and contribute to the costs. ???
Governor Josh Green has said he wants to make travelers more accountable and help pay for the impact they have on Hawaii. With around nine to ten million visitors a year, but only 1.4 million people living here, the tourists can help us maintain our beautiful environment. ?️??
Currently, lawmakers are discussing a bill that would require tourists to pay for a year-long license or pass to visit state parks and trails. They are still figuring out how much to charge, though. Gov. Green campaigned for a $50 fee for all tourists entering the state, but the legislators think there might be an issue with the U.S. Constitution, so they are considering a parks and trails pass instead. This kind of thing has never happened before in any U.S. state. ?️??
Hawaii is following the lead of other tourist hotspots, like Venice, Italy, and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, that have charged similar fees or taxes. Palau, a Pacific island nation, charges $100 for incoming international passengers to help manage their marine sanctuary and promote ecotourism. ?????
State Rep. Sean Quinlan, a Democrat and chair of the House Tourism Committee, says the reason behind this new plan is due to changing travel patterns. Golf rounds per visitor per day have decreased by 30% in the last ten years, but hiking has increased by 50%. Additionally, people are looking for new places they see on social media, and the state doesn’t have enough money to manage all those spots. ?️♂️?♀️?
Before, tourists would come with their families, go to one or two famous beaches, and visit Pearl Harbor. Now, they are checking all kinds of Instagram posts and looking for hidden gems like rope swings and coconut trees. All the places that didn’t have visitors before are getting visitors now. ?️??
Most state parks and trails are free right now, but some are already charging fees, like Diamond Head State Monument, which has a trail going from the floor of a 300,000-year-old volcanic crater to the top. It costs $5 for each visitor and receives about 1 million visitors each year. ??
