UHERO BRIEFS ARE CIRCULATED TO STIMULATE DISCUSSION AND CRITICAL COMMENT. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS. WHILE BRIEFS BENEFIT FROM ACTIVE UHERO DISCUSSION, THEY HAVE NOT UNDERGONE FORMAL ACADEMIC PEER REVIEW.
There is widespread agreement among Hawai‘i residents that the state government needs to spend more money on natural resource stewardship. A critical question is how best to pay for it.
In his January 2024 State of the State Address, Governor Josh Green said that “we must do more to protect our beaches, parks, and other natural treasures from extreme weather fueled by climate change—without raising taxes or fees on Hawai‘i residents”. He proposed to enact a Climate Impact Fee (hereafter “Climate Fee”) on visitors to provide the needed resources. HB2406 HD2 (and its companion bill in the Senate, SB3095) proposes to “Levy an additional $25 tax on transient accommodations.”
2 thoughts on “Taxing Tourists to Generate Revenue to Address the Negative Impacts of Climate Change on Hawai‘i Natural Resources”
They already have a fee, it’s called the TAT.
About 15 years ago it was $100 million, it is now $1 billion. It used to be for tourism marketing and the convention center and now the legislature took all billion for whatever they want to spend it on. Spend it on climate change mitigation . Stop continually trying to take more and more money from tourist. The TAT is already the highest in the country.
Responding to Keith Vierra: “word.”
Governor Green’s plan is the economic equivalent of a resort fee charged to lodging guests who don’t use the pool and spa, of a parking fee charged to lodging guests who don’t park a car, and of a checked baggage fee for airplane passengers who only have carry-on luggage. It’s like the governor saw that his favorite coffee shop was charging him a 30 percent “tip” to use an automated espresso machine, and he thought, “what a great idea for how to jack people who may or may have nothing to do with natural resource and environmental degradation, at all–I think I’ll name it after myself!” These are dumb ideas from people who should know better, and are hoping the public is dumber.