HB19 would replace the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) with a new nonprofit entity called the Corporation for the Stewardship of Hawaii Tourism, organized under a new chapter of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. The bill reframes the State’s tourism policy away from destination marketing and toward “destination stewardship” and “regenerative tourism,” with stated goals that include managing visitation, reducing overcrowding, protecting natural and cultural resources, supporting local businesses and careers, and perpetuating Hawaiian culture. It also creates a state destination stewardship council and four island destination stewardship councils to guide planning and implementation at the statewide and island levels.
The new corporation would be incorporated as a private nonprofit, not a state agency or public corporation, but would still operate under statutory direction and public oversight. It would be responsible for long-range and annual tourism stewardship plans, annual reporting to the Legislature, and coordination with island councils on island-specific action plans. The bill also establishes a tourism emergency special fund and a convention center enterprise special fund, both tied to transient accommodations tax revenues and other receipts, and it preserves a role for the corporation in convention center operations and emergency response planning.
HB19 would make extensive conforming changes throughout state law by replacing references to the HTA with the new corporation, repealing Chapter 201B, and transferring HTA rights, duties, assets, records, contracts, and personnel to the new structure. It also amends tax, procurement, retirement, and planning provisions to reflect the new entity and its special funds, including changes to transient accommodations tax distributions and exemptions. The bill provides for a transition period during which HTA would continue operating until the new corporation is fully organized and certified, after which HTA would be abolished.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly reform-oriented and affirmative about restructuring tourism governance, emphasizing collaboration, stewardship, and community benefit. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided context, there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from hearings or floor action. The bill’s framing suggests an intent to modernize tourism management, but it also signals a significant institutional change that could draw scrutiny from stakeholders affected by the loss of HTA and the shift in control over tourism policy and funding.
Notable points of contention likely include the privatization/nonprofit structure of the new corporation, the extent of legislative and executive oversight, the redistribution of transient accommodations tax revenues, and the transfer of authority away from HTA. The bill also raises questions about governance balance between industry representatives, community interests, and government officials on the new councils, as well as the practical implications of moving staff, contracts, and obligations into a new entity during the transition.
HB19 would substantially reorganize Hawaii’s tourism governance by repealing Chapter 201B and transferring HTA’s statutory functions to a newly created nonprofit corporation and associated statewide and island councils. It would amend multiple statutes to substitute the new corporation for HTA, redirect certain transient accommodations tax revenues to new special funds, and alter related provisions governing legal representation, special fund assessments, retirement reemployment, and planning commissions. The bill would also shift the legal framework for tourism planning, reporting, and emergency response, while preserving existing personnel protections and transferring assets and obligations as part of the transition.
The bill’s tone is generally supportive of major tourism governance reform, with a clear policy preference for destination stewardship, regenerative tourism, and broader community participation. In the materials provided, there are no committee transcripts or vote records showing direct debate, so the public sentiment cannot be measured from hearings or roll calls. Based on the text alone, the proposal appears ambitious and affirmative, but it also implies a significant structural change that could generate concern among those invested in the current HTA model.
The main points of contention are likely to center on whether a nonprofit corporation is the right vehicle for a function traditionally performed by a state authority, how much control the governor and Legislature would retain, and whether tourism industry interests would dominate the new councils. Another likely issue is the reallocation and use of transient accommodations tax revenues, especially the continued support for the convention center and emergency funds. The abolition of HTA, the transfer of employees and contracts, and the possibility of reduced transparency or accountability in a nonprofit structure are also likely to be debated by stakeholders, including labor, community advocates, and tourism businesses.