RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, tourism is the dominant economic activity in the State; and

WHEREAS, tourists are attracted to Hawaii because of the natural and cultural assets and because of the significant public and private investment in infrastructure, hotels, businesses, and visitor-related amenities; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes the positive attributes and economic benefits of the tourist industry; and

WHEREAS, the tourist industry in Hawaii has seen healthy growth throughout the State in the last year; and

WHEREAS, this growth within the tourist industry has put added strain on many of the communities in the State; and

WHEREAS, this significant growth in tourism has strained the infrastructure in many small communities throughout the State by adding additional traffic and tourism-related demand in communities ill-equipped to deal with such issues; and

WHEREAS, the residents of these communities have expressed serious frustration over the increased burden on their local infrastructure and the effects that the tourism has on the previously quiet residential neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, this increase in tourism has created commercialization of residential neighborhoods, public parks, and beaches; and

WHEREAS, the State legislature is inundated every session with legislation requesting appropriations to promote and attract more tourists to Hawaii, and the State will see diminishing returns at some point on its investment into tourism and marketing due to a lack of carrying capacity; and

WHEREAS, a carrying capacity study can provide valuable data to assist the State's policy makers determine the amount and allocation of funding for the numerous legislative requests; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body respectfully requests that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, with the support of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, fulfill its past legislative obligations and conduct a carrying capacity study in order to determine the maximum capacity for tourists in the State by taking into consideration the most recent sustainability study conducted by the Department and any other information necessary to complete a carrying capacity study that results in concrete numbers for the State's carrying capacity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this carrying capacity study is to be conducted in separate studies to be divided among East Oahu including Waikiki, West Oahu, North Shore, Windward Oahu including Kaneohe and Kailua, and each of the neighbor islands; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of this carrying capacity study is to determine the maximum number of visitors that each of the areas listed above is able to sustain with regard to visitor lodging and accommodations, and infrastructure items such as water, roads, and sanitation capacity, and also provide the Legislature important information and data that will help guide it in making policy decisions with regard to tourism-related legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that once the carrying capacity study has been completed, the Hawaii Tourism Authority is encouraged to use the findings to better direct its funds relating to the promotion and marketing of tourism, and assist the state legislature in determining the proper funding and appropriation levels for the numerous tourism-related legislation introduced every session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, with the support of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, is requested to report its findings to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Chairperson of the Board of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Report Title:

Tourism; Hawaii; Carrying Capacity Study