Report says isles need new tourism authority
Associated PressA Hawaii Tourism Authority should be created to oversee not only the marketing and promotion of the islands but also the industry's long-term development, the Legislature's research arm recommends.
"A strong state tourism policy-making board is the backbone of the state's efforts in revitalizing the tourism industry and keeping Hawaii on the cutting edge," said the Legislative Reference Bureau in a report released yesterday.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority would assume the roles now held by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and various state agencies that deal with tourism, the LRB said.
The recommendations are, in some respects, similar to those in bills approved Tuesday by the House and Senate based on recommendations of the state's Economic Revitalization Task Force.
However, funding for the authority's activities should come from a dedicated percentage from the state's general excise tax revenues and not the hotel room tax, the LRB said.
Earmarking room tax revenues for tourism promotion, as recommended by the task force, puts the burden on a single element in the tourist industry -- hotels -- while everyone in the state, directly or indirectly, benefits from tourism, the report said.
