On Thursday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority was officially excluded from the state budget and now has to request funds from the state’s budgeting and On Thursday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority was officially excluded from the state budget and now has to request funds from the state’s budgeting and finance department. The governor and legislature will vet the funding requests, putting the agency under their scrutiny.
Projects and events being funded under the Community Enrichment and Signature Events programs help to build community, foster authentic experiences for residents and visitors, and contribute to a stronger, resilient economy for Hawai‘i.
Fears faced by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority were tempered on Friday when House Bill 1375 was deferred in conference committee. The measure would have transferred functions, duties, appropriations, and positions of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority to the Office of Tourism and Destination Management. But the HTA does not emerge on solid ground, since funding for marketing was not included in the state budget.