???️ Honolulu Zoo Ticket Price Going Up: Da Scoops Fo’ Kamaaina and Malihini
Da Honolulu Zoo, stay tinking about raising da admission fees fo’ da first time in ova one decade, da city say. ? If da City Council approve 2023’s Bill 7, da kamaaina ticket prices fo’ da zoo located at 151 Kapahulu Ave goin’ go up $2. Da same kine $2 increase stay planned fo’ nonresident visitors and US military membahs, but not directly undah dis measure, da city say. ?
As proposed, da kamaaina and latah da military, dose 13 years and oldah goin’ pay $10 each, up from da current $8. Keiki between 3 to 12 years old goin’ pay $6 each, up from $4. Undah one pending action, nonresidents 13 years and oldah goin’ pay $21 each, up from $19, and nonresident keiki between 3 to 12 years old goin’ pay $13 each, up from $11, da city say. ????
Keiki 2 years and youngah and Honolulu Zoological Society membahs still can entah da zoo fo’ free. ?
Jerry Pupillo, da city’s Enterprise Services director, wen’ say dat da proposed fee hikes stay based on entrance fees charged at oddah zoos in da United States. ??
“We wen’ look all ova da country at zoos dat stay similar size like our great zoo, and in da $2 (million) to $7 million range in revenue, and we stay in da lowah 10% of fees fo’ entah da zoo,” Pupillo wen’ tell da Council’s Committee on Budget on May 2. “And I tink dis modest increase of $2 fo’ both da adult and keiki stay reasonable step fo’ try provide bettah care fo’ our animals and also covah our expenses at da zoo.” ???
He wen’ add dat da last time da Honolulu Zoo wen’ raise admission fees fo’ kamaaina stay back in 2011. Da nonresident admission fees wen’ last raised in 2017. ⏰
Aftah da meeting, Pupillo wen’ tell da Honolulu Star-Advertiser dat da main reason fo’ raising da admission fees stay da rising costs. ?
“Da operational costs stay going up, so need one small kine $2 increase,” Pupillo wen’ say via email. “Dese fees goin’ keep da kamaaina prices in da lowah 10% of similar sized zoos all ova da country.” ?
Pupillo wen’ add dat “nonresident fees stay set by administrative rules and our goal stay fo’ raise dem — $2 adult and $2 keiki as well — da same time as approvals stay finished fo’ da kamaaina and military.” ?️
According to da city reports, if Bill 7 become one ordinance, da $2 increase in kamaaina admission fees fo’ adults and keiki stay expected fo’ bring in about $270,880 per year in revenue. Da nonresident $2 increase goin’ bring in about $334,606 annually, “if and when da fees stay increased by administrative rules,” da city reports say. ?
Da City Council stay expected fo’ review Bill 7 fo’ approval within a few weeks, with effective dates of July 1, 2023,” Pupillo said. ?
Right now, da Honolulu Zoo get 88 employees who stay taking care of about 900 animals. Da zoo’s current budget stay around $7.35 million. Fo’ fiscal year 2024, da zoo’s budget goin’ go up to $8.9 million. ??
According to Pupillo, da annual visitor numbers at da Honolulu Zoo dis year stay heading toward da mid-500,000s. In 2019, before da pandemic, da zoo wen’ see about 580,000 visitors. He wen’ say da lowah attendance numbers dis year stay cuz get less tourists coming to Hawaii, mainly fewer visitors from Japan. ??
During da budget committee meeting, Council membah Calvin Say wen’ ask Pupillo how much da city and county wen’ help da zoo fo’ da total cost of operations. ?
Pupillo wen’ reply da cost stay ova $2 million. “Again, dat depends on da attendance,” he added. “Dis year we stay running at 25% to 30% more den last year’s attendance. So dat numbah goin’ change, and da moa money we make goin’ help our own fund.” ?
He wen’ mention “additional initiatives” – including moa advertising and marketing – wen’ start in da last few weeks fo’ promote da zoo even more. “Da moa dat turnstile can turn, da bettah off we stay at generating and being self-supporting at da zoo,” Pupillo added. ??
In response, Say wen’ ask if get one vision fo’ keeping da zoo self-sustaining and no need city subsidies, which he wen’ point out come from da city’s collection of real property tax revenues. ??
“And da idea stay dat having dis kine talk goin’ help you guys look at tings from one different point of view instead of always asking da city fo’ real property tax funds,” Say said. ?
Pupillo wen’ say he agree and “dat stay part of da mission and we like work toward dat, mahalo.” ?
Latah, Pupillo wen’ add dat fo’ his overall department – which stay responsible fo’ Neal S. Blaisdell Center and Waikiki Shell, six municipal golf courses, and da zoo – “da last two years, from just one revenue perspective, stay probably two of da best years da department evah had cuz da division heads stay focused on making dose turnstiles turn at different venues.” ???️♂️
NOW IN ENGLISH
???️ Honolulu Zoo Ticket Prices Going Up: The Scoop for Residents and Visitors
The Honolulu Zoo is considering raising its admission fees for the first time in over a decade, the city says. ? If the City Council approves 2023’s Bill 7, the ticket prices for locals and visitors alike will increase by $2. The same $2 increase is also planned for nonresident visitors and U.S. military members, but not directly under this measure, the city says. ?
As proposed, locals and later the military, those 13 years and older will pay $10 each, up from the current $8. Children between 3 to 12 years old will pay $6 each, up from $4. Under a pending action, nonresidents 13 years and older will pay $21 each, up from $19, and nonresident children between 3 to 12 years old will pay $13 each, up from $11, the city says. ????
Children 2 years and younger and Honolulu Zoological Society members can still enter the zoo for free. ?
Jerry Pupillo, the city’s Enterprise Services director, said that the proposed fee hikes are based on entrance fees charged at other zoos in the United States. ??
“We looked all over the country at zoos similar in size to our great zoo, and in the $2 (million) to $7 million range in revenue, and we were in the lower 10% of fees to enter the zoo,” Pupillo told the Council’s Committee on Budget on May 2. “And I think this modest increase of $2 for both adults and children is a reasonable step to try to provide better care for our animals and also cover our expenses at the zoo.” ???
He added that the last time the Honolulu Zoo increased admission fees for locals was in 2011. The nonresident admission fees were last raised in 2017. ⏰
After the meeting, Pupillo told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the main reason for raising the admission fees is the rising costs. ?
“The operational costs are going up, so we need a small $2 increase,” Pupillo said via email. “These fees will keep the local prices in the lower 10% of similar-sized zoos across the country.” ?
Pupillo added that “nonresident fees are set by administrative rules and our goal is to raise them — $2 adult and $2 child as well — at the same time as approvals are completed for the locals and military.” ?️
According to city reports, if Bill 7 becomes an ordinance, the $2 increase in local admission fees for adults and children is expected to generate about $270,880 per year in revenue. The nonresident $2 increase would generate about $334,606 annually, “if and when the fees are increased by administrative rules,” city reports say. ?
The City Council is expected to review Bill 7 for approval within a few weeks, with effective dates of July 1, 2023,” Pupillo said. ?
Currently, the Honolulu Zoo has 88 employees who take care of about 900 animals. The zoo’s current budget is around $7.35 million. For fiscal year 2024, the zoo’s budget is expected to rise to $8.9 million. ??
According to Pupillo, the annual visitor numbers at the Honolulu Zoo this year are heading toward the mid-500,000s. In 2019, before the pandemic, the zoo saw about 580,000 visitors. He said the lower attendance numbers this year are due to fewer tourists coming to Hawaii, mainly fewer visitors from Japan. ??
During the budget committee meeting, Council member Calvin Say asked Pupillo how much the city and county helped the zoo for the total cost of operations. ?
Pupillo replied the cost is over $2 million. “Again, that depends on the attendance,” he added. “This year we are running at 25% to 30% more than last year’s attendance. So that number is going to change, and the more money we make is going to help our own fund.” ?
He mentioned “additional initiatives” – including more advertising and marketing – that started in the last few weeks to promote the zoo even more. “The more the turnstile can turn, the better off we are at generating and being self-supporting at the zoo,” Pupillo added. ??
In response, Say asked if there is a vision for keeping the zoo self-sustaining and not needing city subsidies, which he pointed out come from the city’s collection of real property tax revenues. ??
“And the idea is that having this kind of talk will help you guys look at things from a different point of view instead of always asking the city for real property tax funds,” Say said. ?
Pupillo said he agrees and “that is part of the mission, and we’d like to work toward that, thank you.” ?
Later, Pupillo added that for his overall department – which is responsible for Neal S. Blaisdell Center and Waikiki Shell, six municipal golf courses, and the zoo – “the last two years, from just a revenue perspective, are probably two of the best years the department ever had because the division heads are focused on making those turnstiles turn at different venues.” ???️♂️
