Hawaii Tourism: Up and Running after the Covid Effect

Hawaii Tourism has been affected due to Covid, just like any other country or state. Hawaii is one of the well-known tourist spots of North America. Even though it is a part of North America, it is away from the entire country. It stands alone in the Pacific Ocean, far away from the rest of the country. Hawaii is known for its rich cuisine, culture, art, and annual festivals. Hawaii State is a set of islands generally known as the Hawaiian Islands. It is a set of eight major islands, of which Hawaii, O’ahu, Maui, and Kaua’i are the major tourism attractors. The majority of the tourism industry is present in these islands.

How is Tourism in Hawaii?

Well, among the eight major islands, four have the majority tourism industry. Out of the other four, Molokai and Lana’i have minimal tourism, and Niihau and Kaho’olawe are restricted. If we consider the year 2017, according to the government data, over 9.4 million visitors have been recorded to the Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian Islands started as an agriculture-based state producing almost 80% of the world’s pineapples in the 1960s. The Pan Am’s flight route that was added to Hawaii attracted many tourists. More than double the number of passengers started arriving at the Honolulu Airport. With this upwards trend, Hawaii’s economy has become highly dependent on its tourism industry. The industry contributes to the growth of its economy on a large scale.

How Much Money Does Hawaii Make From Tourism?

Now that is a difficult question to answer. According to statistical data available for the year 2017, reports show that $1.96 billion was generated in taxes alone. The resorts and the airline businesses are the prime beneficiaries of the tourism industry. It is also known that around 204,000 jobs were created around the same year.

Is Hawaii Open for Tourism?

The answer is yes. The Covid-19 pandemic has spoiled the tourism industry of Hawaii and various other places. As a matter of fact, the state is majorly dependant on its Tourism Industry. It is back welcoming the tourists and visitors. Although Hawaii Tourism has been resumed, there is still fear of the virus that continues to prevail.

There are certain restrictions and guidelines related to Covid-19 that need to be followed by visitors. Hawaii Tourism Authorities need visitors to get tested before departing for the United States. CDC also recommends that visitors get tested again after 3-5 days of arrival. Another seven-day home isolation is also recommended to follow after the travel. These measures have been imposed to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission. The pre-departure test results are necessary to identify each passenger as uninfected.

Within the three days before the flight, air passengers need to get a viral test done and provide written proof of their lab test results to the airlines. International travelers must have a negative test result to travel from the State of Hawaii Trusted Testing and Travel Partner to visit Hawaii. Otherwise, a 10-day travel quarantine can be imposed on these tourists.

Hawaii has also launched AlohaSafe Alert App, which is compulsory for all Hawaii tourists to upload on their phones. If not, they at least need other Google-Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) systems in their mobile devices.