Posts in category: Policy & Enforcement

Maui County Council nominated over 2,000 short-term rentals for hotel rezoning under Resolution 26-111, creating a legislative carve-out that raises questions about the phase-out’s ability to return units to local housing.

A Hawaiʻi court has halted permits for Host Hotels’ Turtle Bay expansion until a new environmental review is completed, highlighting the regulatory risks of relying on legacy entitlements for resort development.

The National Park Service’s proposal for limited guided tours to Kalaupapa has sparked debate over local community consultation, highlighting broader tensions around cultural site management and visitor access governance.

Maui’s advancing Bill 88 zoning carve-out seeks to shield thousands of short-term rentals from elimination, countering previous regulatory mandates and raising questions about the county’s exposure to ongoing legal challenges.

Hawaiʻi lawmakers are heavily modifying the Green Fee’s initial project recommendations during budget negotiations, reinforcing industry concerns that the dedicated environmental tax is morphing into a general state spending pool.

The conclusion of Hawaiʻi’s legislative session brings mixed outcomes for tourism bills, with HTA surviving under a weakened mandate, underscoring the industry’s ongoing vulnerability to political budget fights and shifting priorities.

Hawaiʻi’s Green Fee advisory council has proposed $126.4M in resilience and tourism projects, but a dispute over bond funding versus direct fee revenue, and new transparency demands, signals the program’s first political test.

Maui’s Bill 9 aims to phase out more than 6,000 short-term rentals, but rejected zoning carve-outs and likely court challenges highlight the ongoing collision between housing policy and the island’s visitor lodging reality.

Hawaiʻi’s 60-day legislative sprint is underway, with bills targeting TAT marketing funds, comp room charges, vacation rental enforcement, tourism governance, and Michelin funding, all carrying real implications for hospitality.