You can’t make this stuff up. Here are some of the latest developments:
Late Payments – Earlier in April, it was reported that Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority was under scrutiny from the state Attorney General’s Office over $780,000 in potential interest owed for late payments to major contractors. It was also facing separate investigations into possible procurement and ethics violations.
Racist Remarks – Chief Administrative Officer and VP of Finance Isaac Choy has been placed on leave following reports of racist remarks and a toxic work environment, which have led to an investigation by the State Attorney General. We don’t have the space to cover all the sordid details here, but if you want to learn more, Allison Schaefers did a very detailed piece on it—it’s a tough and disappointing read. I feel for the acting CEO, Caroline Anderson, who is stuck with a mess of others’ creations, but she is tough and smart, and can hopefully wade through it and right the ship.
More Resignations – Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana, HTA chief stewardship officer and interim public affairs officer, resigned earlier this month. Having worked with Kalani, it is definitely disappointing to see him leave, and I wish him the best of luck in his next chapter. This rounds out five recent senior resignations, which also included the CEO, Brand Manager, Senior Brand Manager, and Public Affairs Officer.
HTA Likely to Lose “Independence” – Senate Bill 1571, which restructures the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority by placing it under the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and converting its board into an advisory role, has passed both chambers of the Legislature and was sent to Governor Green on May 2, 2025. The Governor has until July 9 to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature. This would effectively end HTA’s status as an independent agency.
On a positive note, HTA announced in an April email that they brought on 8 new staff, including destination managers, a contracts administrative manager, a planner, and a Brand Manager-Sports Tourism. I can only imagine what the new hires are thinking about all this.
In a rare instance for me, I have to say, I am speechless. I am curious to hear what our readers think about HTA and its future.
