A first of its kind bill was passed through the Hawaii legislature in the spring of 2025 that raised tourist taxes to fund climate relief. This will increase the transient accommodation taxes to vacationers by .75% starting January 1, 2026.
This bill, suspected to raise over $100 million annually, is believed to have been driven by the Maui wildfire issue. One way the money will be used is to help clear flammable invasive grasses that helped to cause the wildfires. Other projects the money will be used for is to replenish sands on Waikiki beaches, but also hopefully other beaches statewide, promoting the use of hurricane clips to secure roofs, and maintaining the county parks on many of the islands.
The main concern that most people have with the bill is transparency of what is happening with the money. The State of Hawaii did something similar by charging guests into the parks a fee. That money was to be used to help maintain the parks. Many locals felt that they saw no increase in maintenance to the parks in that time period. Some people are desiring transparency on what the money is actually used for.
If you want further information or if you want to watch a video by the governor, Josh Green, please click here.