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Committee adopts agriculture‑tourism working group and marketing stipulation; sustainable‑tourism resolution amended, one measure deferred
Summary
The House Committee on Tourism voted March 31 to advance HCR 188/HR 178 (agriculture‑tourism working group) and HCR 51/HR 47 (30% out‑of‑state marketing stipulation), amended HCR 49 to pursue GSTC certification, passed ACR 48 with amendments, and deferred HCR 50/HR 46 (destination management task force).
The Hawaii House Committee on Tourism on March 31 moved several tourism measures forward and took final votes in committee.
Vice Chair Tamplo opened the hearing and the committee proceeded to decision‑making after testimony. The committee voted to pass HCR 188 and HR 178, which request that the Hawaii Tourism Authority establish an agriculture‑tourism working group to examine existing law and recommend steps to encourage agriculture tourism. The chair announced the recommendation adopted; the recorded roll call in the transcript shows affirmative votes from the chair, vice chair, Rep. McCarthy, Rep. Yamashita and Rep. Gideon with Rep. Illagan excused.
The committee also approved HCR 51 and HR 47, which would add a stipulation directing the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s signature‑event program to allocate 30% of awarded funds to marketing targeted to out‑of‑state audiences. HTA stood on written testimony and the chair’s recommendation to pass "as is" was adopted in committee.
Lawmakers deferred HCR 50/HR 46 (a proposal to establish a destination‑management task force) for later consideration; members had substantive questions and requested more coordination information from HTA.
On HCR 49, the committee accepted a narrower amendment from HTA and adopted only bullet point four: to seek a certified sustainable destination designation from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. The chair called the vote and announced the measure passed with amendments. The committee also adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass ACR 48 with amendments, extending certain visitor‑safety efforts to county mayors.
Hearing procedures were reiterated at the start: testifiers had a two‑minute limit and hearing staff asked participants to keep video off and remain muted while waiting. Several registered agencies stood on written testimony; the Terra James Young Foundation was listed among five written supporters for HCR 49.
The committee adjourned after adopting the recommendations and amendments recorded in the hearing transcript.
