Column: Charge tourists annual fees to use parks and beaches

As Hawaii looks beyond the pandemic toward recovery and potentially reengineering its economy to be more robust and creating an environment that better supports its residents and sustains its natural resources, consideration should be given to recognizing and realizing the value of its greatest assets.

According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the state collected tax revenue of $2.07 billion during 2019, which was also the peak year for visitors at about 10.4 million. Requiring about $100-per-person annual beach and park permits for nonresidents could provide $500 million to $700 million additional annual state revenue likely without impacting the number of visitors, or visitor spending.

This would provide a tremendous boost to state revenues, enabling more infrastructure, social and business development, even with fewer visitors. A portion of this could also go to much-needed beach and park restoration and maintenance.

Many states require park fees. In fact, according to Ballotopedia.org, as of April 2018, only 10 states (Hawaii included) charged no park fees; 39 states had annual park fees. The highest annual park fee was Kansas at $202.50, followed by California at $195 and Alabama at $180. With all due respect to Kansas, California and Alabama, I would argue that Hawaii has far more value to offer.

Some may worry that charging $100 per person for annual access to parks and beaches would keep people from visiting. This seems highly unlikely, given that the average cost for a week in Hawaii for U.S. tourists ranges from $2,700 to $5,100 for two adults, making the $100-per- person fee less than 10% of the overall cost, according to several internet travel sites.

This is also reinforced by the fact that on average, each visitor spent $1,701 during his or her visit in 2019, putting a $100 fee at only about 6% of the cost. A national park pass costs $80, plus $5 processing fee, with demand increasing — and if you want to camp, it’ll cost up to $60 per night. So it is hard to see how an annual state park and beach pass fee would actually influence one’s big trip plans to come to Hawaii.

One might alternatively counter that charging such fees would depress spending of visitors while in Hawaii. Unlikely. To put things into perspective, a single-day pass to Orlando Disney World costs $109 to $159 and there is no evidence of declining spending while in the Enchanted Kingdom. Likewise, take a look at a single-day ski pass, which can cost $100 to $200. That also hasn’t diverted people from their favorite après ski activities.

Lastly, some might fret that such a permit or pass would be unenforceable. People would just come and use the parks and beaches without buying the pass. Of course there will always be those who try to circumvent the requirements, but as we’ve learned during the pandemic, there are numerous ways to ensure enforcement to a high degree.

In fact, Hawaii’s remote location is another benefit for it, making enforcement easier. For example, all vacation packages/tour providers could be required to add park passes. Hawaii could partner with airlines, hotels and rental car agencies to make requirements known and the passes available. Visitors could be given personalized wrist bands confirming their passes, etc.

Again, this would only apply to visitors. Residents would see no change. Lastly, perhaps there are some current regulations or state law that prohibits charging park/beach access fees for visitors. If so, then perhaps we should just change that law so Hawaii can benefit fairly from the amazing experience it provides. The additional revenue is badly needed, and perhaps it would relieve some of the pressure from chasing ever-larger visitor numbers with limited resources.

Hal Koyama, a former Navy submariner, is CEO and director of a hydrogen and fuel cell energy technology company.