Please elect Michael Magaoay. He's not perfect but he is pragmatic. Unlike the Gil the lunatic. In Gil's world, news like tourism plunging in September is good news.
I warned you tourism would tank. It is and it is going to get worse. Don't elect a dumb politician who will make it even less welcome for people to come to the North Shore and spend their money. Don't elect someone who wants to destroy the North Shore's largest employer - Turtle Bay Resort.
Below from The Star Bulletin,:
Hotel occupancy dips to lowest since 9/11
The "deterioration" of tourism has gotten worse, a report says. The bottom line for Hawaii hotels is getting significantly smaller.
Hotels throughout the state suffered a more than $37 million loss in September room revenue and a more than $58 million drop in total revenue, including retail and food and beverage operations, as statewide occupancy plunged 11 percentage points to 63.2 percent last month -- the lowest level since the months following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a report released today by Hospitality Advisors LLC
HOTEL OCCUPANCY - Occupancy rates at Hawaii hotels in September and the same month last year:
2008 2007 Statewide 63.2% 74.2%
By Island
Oahu 69.4% 79.3%
Kauai 68.9% 76.8%
Maui 56.8% 71.6%
Big Island 49.9% 59.4% Source: Hospitality Advisors LLC
Re: Don't Elect The Anti Business, Anti Tourism Idiot
What frustration I get from reading your close-minded arguments. First of all, the economic crisis we are going through right now is what is causing the decrease in hotel occupancy. The fact that you believe by simply electing someone that will make people feel more welcome throughout the islands will help this problem sickens me. People are not spending money on unnecessary goods right now and that is why this number is waning. Lets face it, a casual vacation to Hawaii is not need, it is a want. If the expansion had gone through years ago, our island would be having even more of a problem right now. There would be even more debt set upon us and that percentage would be a great amount lower simply due to the fact of empty rooms at Turtle Bay Resort and not to mention, unemployment. Every Hawaiian island as it is, is very accommodating and welcoming as a whole.
Re: Don't Elect The Anti Business, Anti Tourism Idiot
Whitney, it's taken me a while to answer you. My apologies for taking so long to be rude to you and let you know how wrong you are.
The HOTEL occupancy is down. If the Serial Protesters did not slow down Turtle Bay, the construction projects alone would have made work for just about anyone who was willing.
But that is not the case is it? No new jobs coming to the North Shore any time soon, you think?
Maybe your buddies Jack and Blake will hire people to build trails at Paumalu Pupukea? Don't think so.
The Mormons backed off of their plans partially because they did not want to deal with the enviroMENTAL whackos on the North Shore. No new jobs over there any time soon.
