Facts: Hawaiʻi is one of the most isolated island chains in the world and also among the most beautiful and desired destinations to visit.
Opinion: While diversification into other industries is important, at the end of the day, we are who we are, and we need to embrace it. We are a tourism-driven economy, and no matter how much we diversify, this is unlikely to change. Therefore, we need to effectively market and manage this, which is the role of the HTA.HTA has been without a permanent CEO since September 2023, and 30% of the positions in the organization remain unfilled. Who would want to join an organization that might be defunded and is constantly being battered? A recent article indicated that there is now an attempt to reduce the salary of the CEO (who has yet to be hired). While the current team is doing a yeoman’s job of keeping things running, if we do not offer an industry-competitive salary and stabilize the organization, it is unlikely that we will retain existing and attract the best candidates going forward. While our destination certainly has a halo, if we do not nurture its image and brand, we will lose out to competitor destinations.
