CONSTRUCTION

Hawaii’s tourism industry is a vital component of Hawaii’s economy and directly impacts the health of the construction industry. The tourism industry creates numerous business opportunities for construction.

First and foremost is the need for construction of new hotels and improvements: several large hotel owners are planning to add rooms and renovations to their properties in the coming years.

During the last two years, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Halekulani, Royal Hawaiian, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach and other hotels spent more than $100 million in renovations to their properties to assure quality rooms and facilities for our island visitors.

Another recent addition is the second-largest hotel property on Oahu’s west side: the Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa with 460 Disney Vacation Club villas and 359 hotel rooms.

Hawaii contractors also build much-needed infrastructure to accommodate the increase in visitor arrivals, such as the recently announced $739 million modernization program of the Honolulu International Airport, which will include two new concourses, additional arrival/departure gates and a new rental car facility.

Contractors are also involved with improving tourist attractions and activities that give visitors a more memorable experience.

Several recent projects were the renovation and improvements to the Pearl Harbor-Arizona Memorial, Haunauma Bay, improvements to Kalakaua Avenue, Diamond Head Crater and Hiking Trail, Hono- lulu Zoo-Asian Elephant Tropical Forest Exhibit and the Waikiki Beach nourishment project, which placed more than 26,000 cubic yards of sand recovered from offshore sites to widen the beach to 40 feet.

When the tourism industry prospers and grows, so does the need for construction services, which in turn benefits our industry and workers. The General Contractors Association of Hawaii (GCA) is very thankful for all of its partners in Hawaii’s tourism industry.

The GCA is a statewide trade association of construction contractors, suppliers and related firms. GCA formed its association in 1932 and today GCA is the most recognized leader of Hawaii’s construction industry.

With 600 members across the state, which include 380 construction contractors, our members engage in the construction of public and private buildings, public and private infrastructure — including highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, power lines, power plants, clean and waste water facilities — as well as defense and other federal facilities.