HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

87

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF THE TOURISM  AND RECREATION INDUSTRY WITHIN THE STATE OF HAWAII.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the ocean economy includes six industrial sectors, which are:  marine transportation; tourism and recreation; living marine resources; marine construction; ship and boat building; and mineral extraction; and

 

     WHEREAS, experiencing Hawaii's natural beauty, on and under the water, is part of many visitors' reasons for coming to Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the tourism and recreation sector of the ocean economy accounts for nearly ninety-one per cent of the State's ocean economy employment in coastal tourism and recreation, contributing $6,000,000,000 to the State's ocean gross domestic product; and

 

     WHEREAS, although past reports and studies have examined the economic impact of various activities, such as whale watching and tour boats, a comprehensive study that examines the economic impact of the tourism and recreation sector of Hawaii's ocean economy as a whole has not been conducted; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, other relevant state and county agencies, the private sector, and other decision makers could use the information from such a comprehensive study to make informed decisions regarding tourism and recreation; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to conduct a study of the economic impact of the tourism and recreation sector of the ocean economy in the State of Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to include in its study, at a minimum, a survey that:

 

     (1)  Identifies the types of ocean recreation activities present in the State;

 

     (2)  With regard to visitors to the State who engage in ocean recreation activities, identifies, on an annual basis, the:

 

          (A)  Number of visitors who arrive in the State;

 

          (B)  Number of visitors who engage in each type of ocean recreation activity;

 

          (C)  Aggregate expenditures of those visitors on each type of ocean recreation activity; and

 

          (D)  Number of visitors who stay in hotels or other accommodations within the State, compared to the number of visitors who only visit the State as passengers on cruise ships; and

 

     (3)  With regard to those businesses engaged in providing ocean recreation activities, identifies, on an annual basis, the:

 

          (A)  Aggregate revenues of those businesses; and

 

          (B)  Revenues generated by each type of ocean recreation activity; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in advance of preparing the study, is requested to engage stakeholders, such as the Chambers of Commerce of the various counties, ocean recreation businesses, and activity booking agents, to determine what other information would be appropriate to include in the scope of the study; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to submit the study's findings and recommendations in a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2018; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; and the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

DBEDT; Tourism; Ocean Recreation Activity; Study