Hawaii May Soon Pass a $50 Green Fee for Visitors
The pristine beaches, dramatic peaks, stunning waterfalls, and thriving wildlife that draw visitors to Hawaii are the exact elements that are impacted by tourism the most. So a bill currently going through the state's legislature is proposing a new Hawaii Green Fee: an annual $50 per person fee to visit the state’s natural wonders in order to help protect them for generations to come.
“For decades, Hawaii’s natural beauty has enchanted visitors, awakening their curiosity and sense of exploration,” Hawaii Green Fee project manager Carissa Cabrera says. “For this place we call home, that cost is the erosion of our natural and cultural resources. The Hawaii you see today is so different from the Hawaii of 10 years ago.”
Among the changes: coral reefs are waning, beaches are more polluted, and native plants and animals are vanishing. “The constant visitor traffic takes its toll,” she says. “We cannot keep taking from our resources without replenishing and protecting and caring for them in some way to ensure they do more than survive but thrive.”
Cabrera says that the 50th state’s ecosystems provide more than $6 billion in value to Hawaii’s economy annually, but only one percent of the state budget is dedicated toward protecting the resources. The chasm is especially surprising because of Hawaiian culture’s connection with nature. A recent poll showed that 95 percent of the state's voters believe it’s their own responsibility to protect the ocean for future generations, according to Cabrera—yet they haven't had the resources to do so.
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/hawaii-green-fee
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