Editorials

[ OUR OPINION ]

Better security enhances
Hawaii’s tourist appeal

THE ISSUE More foreign visitors are being turned away from Hawaii than before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

HEIGHTENED security measures that have increased the number of foreigners denied entry to Hawaii indicate immigration officials are doing a better job of turning away undesirable travelers without significant adverse effects on tourism. The effort safeguards citizens and visitors as the need for protecting our borders has escalated since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Greater access to information about a visitor's criminal and travel records have resulted in the higher rejection rates. As Honolulu immigration director Donald Radcliffe told the Star-Bulletin's Tim Ruel, more people are being caught lying about their records, which is a basis for barring their entrance. In addition, immigration officials have begun examining all passengers flying through Hawaii, even if only on a refueling stop.

Data on denials -- obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and compared to state visitor arrival statistics -- show that one of every 9,700 visitors from Japan were refused entry in 2002. In the year before the Sept. 11 attacks, denials totaled about one of about every 20,000 Japanese visitors. The figures also show an increase in rejection of Canadian visitors, one in 2,328 before the attacks as compared to one in 1,000 last year.

In all, 661 people were not granted entry in 2002, a 46 percent increase, despite the decrease in tourist counts since the attacks. Canadian visitors dropped from 239,713 to 190,636 while tourists from Japan were down to 1.3 million from 1.8 million.

The overall rate in Hawaii of one in 2,460 visitors is low when measured against the national rate of one in 624. However, because tourism is so important to the state, there had been concern that more stringent rules would hurt the industry. Fortunately, it appears that the Japanese, who compose the largest international market for the islands, are keenly sensitive to a secure environment and haven't perceived entry denials as a problem, their officials say. Although Canadian officials have yet to weigh in, it is doubtful they would raise any objections. A secure Hawaii surely benefits everyone.

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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.

Don Kendall, Publisher

Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.com

Mary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4748; mpoole@starbulletin.com
John Flanagan, Contributing Editor 294-3533; jflanagan@starbulletin.com

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