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Ridge vows to mix
security with aloha
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge reassured members of Hawaii's visitor industry yesterday that the government will work to find a way to balance international security with Hawaii's aloha spirit.
As international tourists stood in line waiting to be fingerprinted and photographed before beginning their Hawaii vacations, Ridge met with about 30 members of the visitor industry at Honolulu Airport to brief them about the US-VISIT program.
The program, extended in October to include the fingerprinting and photographing of nearly all foreigners who enter the United States, including those from Japan, Hawaii's biggest international market, will soon be expanded to include exit checks, too.
"In a post 9/11 world, we need secure borders and open doors," Ridge said, pledging to continue improving the US-VISIT program and easing entry procedures for non-visa waiver countries such as China.
Homeland security visa policies, which initially resulted in the loss of some business travelers and students, have already improved, Ridge said, adding the department will continue to make adjustments.
US-VISIT entry procedures are in place at 115 airports and 15 seaports. Exit procedures are being piloted in four airports and one seaport. Hawaii will likely roll out its exit procedures by next summer, said Jim Williams, director of US-VISIT.
Before leaving the country, international visitors will be checked by handheld detection devices to verify identities, Williams said.
Implementing the exit procedures in Hawaii will likely be smoother than launching US-VISIT. However, the airport's configuration will make the process challenging as well as require more airport personnel, said Marsha Wienert, Gov. Linda Lingle's tourism liaison.
"The big thing is trying to determine which pilot program will fit our needs because of our infrastructure challenges," Wienert said. The airport's configuration does not allow all international visitors to go through the same checkpoints. The wiki-wiki bus system has also caused delays in processing people, she said.
Some members of the state's visitor industry were initially spooked that changes required by US-VISIT could increase waiting times for international visitors who just finished long flights, and hurt interest in Hawaii, Wienert said, but she added the process hasn't been as painful as advertised.
Even so, implementing US-VISIT has meant that customs agents in Honolulu have gone from processing about 600 visitors a day to about 4,250, an increase of more than 600 percent, and has resulted in wait times at the state's busiest airports that are consistently above the national average.
On Monday, Hawaii Customs and Border Protection officers processed 3,000 international arrivals during one peak 52-minute period, causing lines to stretch 60 people deep.
The state has opened aloha lounges to make the wait more hospitable for visitors, Ridge said, praising state leaders for "doing everything that they can to make even a bad experience a positive one."
Additional options, while unpopular with some members of Hawaii's visitor industry, include asking carriers to stagger flights so security officers are not bombarded with arrivals.
Increasing the wait times for international visitors is a concern for Hawaii since the state's economy depends so much on these arrivals, Ridge said, adding that Japanese visitors alone bring about $2 billion to the state.
The need to enhance security and the perception that Hawaii is a safe destination was also discussed at the Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition, where Ridge was the keynote speaker on Monday.
World War II, the Gulf War, 9/11, the Iraqi War and other medical and natural threats have contributed to falling visitor arrivals in the past, said Frank Haas, vice president of marketing for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, during a panel discussion yesterday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
"(This year) looks to be a record year for tourism in Hawaii, which reflects the sense of security our visitors feel," Haas said. "Hawaii is seen as a unique American destination. It's safe and secure, but exotic, too."
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