Editorial: Making tourism work for Hawaii

Tourism, the anchor of Hawaii’s economy, is in the midst of transformation, a change that should be welcomed by kamaaina — and the visitors, too, for that matter.

The evolution will be felt most distinctly on Oahu, where Honolulu officials are working to lighten the footprint tourism leaves on residential communities. The state also is working through all the counties, and the Hawaii Tourism Authority, toward a brand of tourism that encourages a more respectful approach to cultural and environmental preservation.

Advances applying both approaches would be improvements well worth the effort.

Starting on the short-term rentals front: In April, Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Bill 41, now Ordinance 22-7, which imposes rules, effective Oct. 23, that would restrict the use of most residential properties as vacation rentals for tourists.

Under the new law, the renter’s stay would have to be 90 days or longer, up from the current 30-day minimum.

In June, this prompted the filing of a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, charging that the ordinance violates both the U.S. and Hawaii constitutions; it also interferes with property owners’ vested rights to own and rent property and violates a state zoning law, according to the complaint.

The court challenge comes from a coalition called the Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance. They are landlords who struck an agreement with the city under the previous short-term rentals law allowing 30-day minimum terms to continue, serving a mix of tourists or others who are in Hawaii on a transient basis. The alliance wants that allowance restored.

The complaint seeks a court order blocking the enforcement of Ordinance 22-7. Meanwhile, the city Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) is proceeding with plans to meet the Oct. 23 deadline, said Dean Uchida, department director.

“We are in the process of developing standard operating procedures for the new Short Term Vacation Rental Enforcement Branch at DPP,” Uchida said in an emailed response to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Consultants are being sought to assist, he said.

Whatever happens with the court challenge, officials must move quickly to have these procedures at the ready. The city needs to get moving with the task, long overdue, of rebalancing visitor and residential needs.

It may come under renewed pressure to ease up on restrictions. The state’s latest Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey shows that in the U.S. West, the top tourism market for Hawaii, the percentage likely to return in five years dropped by 4.1 points to 82.2%. Rising costs are cited as a factor.

Even so, this should not be cause for panic — or for letting the unregulated use of lower-cost vacation rental accommodations flow back into the marketplace. There are also indications of a growing antitourism sentiment among residents, and that’s toxic — to the residents as well as the people who come for a pleasant stay.

Most experienced industry observers consider the state’s pivot to “destination management,” tourism quality over quantity, a healthy change. Count three former governors, George Ariyoshi, John Waihee and Neil Abercrombie, who wrote an op-ed in Sunday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, among fans of this redirection.

Already there’s new messaging being sent by the industry. New Zealand travel journalists recently here were hosted to hear an emphasis on tourists doing their part to “Malama Hawaii” — the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s call for visitors to care for this special place.

This is the message that should prevail: Maintaining the right tourism balance will come at a cost — but a well-cared-for Hawaii is worth every penny.