We share the sadness and concern felt by Hawaii residents over the lost lives, lost jobs and lost time with family and friends caused by the pandemic.
Collectively since March, our banks have changed the way we work, supported nonprofits that assist the most vulnerable in our community, and helped drive key initiatives to keep residents safe and support our battered economy. Above all, we have made every effort to ensure the health and well-being of the thousands of hardworking people we employ and the hundreds of thousands of customers we continue to serve throughout the pandemic.
As bankers, we are deeply connected to the community through the customers we serve — individuals, organizations and businesses that we help to turn dreams into reality. We know of countless instances in which those dreams have crumbled this year as Hawaii’s economic pulse has flat lined.
For generations, tourism has been the bread and butter of our economy, so the recent shutdowns and halt of trans-Pacific travel dealt a hammer blow to our state. Although necessary to protect the health of residents, the cost was high. A Yelp survey found that our rate of business closings is one of the highest in the nation. This is consistent with our 15% unemployment rate, which is also the highest in the country.
Some people find the slowdown refreshing. They enjoy less traffic, empty restaurants and bare beaches. But these same indicators also tell another story: thousands of kamaaina out of work, mortgage and rent payments being missed, longtime mom-and-pop businesses closing up for good, and more kupuna and families being forced into homelessness.
As bankers, we are trained to recognize the opportunities and challenges of every decision so we can help our customers navigate their finances. Thanks to our community’s ability to manage COVID-19, we are now able to safely welcome back tourists and share the aloha spirit that Hawaii is known for and visitors can only experience here.
This is the best decision we could have made to slowly revive our economy. As a result, businesses are reopening, residents are returning to work, and the travel industry is reawakening after a brutal seven-month hibernation — just in time for the holidays, when retail sales provide up to 40% of annual revenue for many businesses.
We’re glad to see that as a result of the state’s pre-travel testing program, arriving visitors are not compromising our community’s health or creating pressure on our health-care system. We are also encouraged by the state’s improved testing and contact tracing capabilities. All of these safeguards are about mitigating risk; it’s not about waiting until we have a perfect plan. It’s about coming up with solutions — and taking action — to better the lives of our people.
We each have the ability to shape the future of Hawaii. As we approach the holidays, we must not let down our guard and jeopardize our own safety or those closest to us. The worst thing that could happen is a resurgence of cases as a result of large holiday parties. If everyone — residents and visitors — continues to wear masks, wash hands and avoid large gatherings, the risk of infection will remain low and we can keep our economy open.
More than ever, it’s so important to support local businesses. They make Hawaii unique and they need our help even more this year, so consider buying local when doing your holiday shopping.
While economists predict it could take years for our economy to rebound, we believe we are on the right path and look forward to helping our community thrive once again.
Bob Harrison is CEO of First Hawaiian Bank; Peter Ho is CEO of Bank of Hawaii; Rich Wacker is CEO of American Savings Bank and president of the Hawaii Bankers Association.
