STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2973

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1692

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 1692, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOURISM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Hawaii Tourism Authority's brand management plan to be a single, comprehensive document;

     (2)  Require the Hawaii Tourism Authority to submit a complete and detailed report of the results of the progress of its plan toward achieving the Hawaii Tourism Authority's strategic plan goals as part of its annual report to the Governor and Legislature; and

     (3)  Make housekeeping amendments to the functions and duties of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Auditor and Hawaii Tourism Authority.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices and American Resort Development Association.

     Your Committee finds that according to the State Auditor's 2013 report entitled "Audit of Major Contracts and Agreements of the Hawaii Tourism Authority", the Hawaii Tourism Authority's marketing plan is dispersed, unwieldy, and falls short of statutory requirements.  This measure responds to the State Auditor's findings by ensuring that the Hawaii Tourism Authority's marketing plan is a single, comprehensive document and clarifying the Hawaii Tourism Authority's reporting requirements.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing references to the "tourism brand management plan" to the "tourism marketing plan";

     (2)  Requiring the Hawaii Tourism Authority to perpetuate the uniqueness of the native Hawaiian culture and community, and their importance to the quality of the visitor experience, by ensuring the accurate portrayal of Hawaiian culture; supporting the Hawaiian language; supporting and nurturing cultural practitioners and cultural sites; and providing a native Hawaiian cultural education and training program for the visitor industry workforce; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1692, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1692, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism,

____________________________

GILBERT KAHELE, Chair