Traveling to Hawaii is certainly not as easy as it used to be, but in a recent survey conducted by  the Hawaii Tourism Authority it was found that out of the 495 visitors that were surveyed 85% said their trip was excellent, and 94% said their trip either met or exceeded expectations. This is great to see, as it means that the number of tourists making the journey to Hawaii in 2021 should continue to rise.

While tourism numbers are not nearly what they were in 2019, the Pre-travel Testing Program allows anyone traveling to Hawaii to bypass the 10-day mandatory quarantine, which would make any vacation immensely more enjoyable. Out of the visitors that were surveyed, 79% said that their pre-travel testing experience went smoothly, and the protocols were clear. The remaining 21% reported various issues with pre-travel testing including difficulty finding a trusted testing partner, and not receiving their results within the specified window.

We will continue to look forward to a rise in tourism numbers as the local economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. To look at the full report, follow this link.In an interview with The Maui News, the Chief Economist with the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Eugene Tian stated that nearly 30% of the homes that were purchased in the better part of 2020 were purchased by out-of-state residents. Of those buyers 27.4% were from the mainland, and 1.4% were international. While this number seems high, out-of-state residents usually purchase nearly 50% of the available real estate on Maui.

The data is still being assembled for the demographic breakdown of these out-of-state buyers, as it is unclear whether most of those purchases were made by investors, or those seeking to move their principal residence to Hawaii now that most employees and business owners can work from home.

The three aspects of the current real estate market that appear to show no signs of slowing are low inventory levels, low interest rates on new mortgages and a climbing median sales price for both condos and single family homes. In December, the Realtors Association of Maui recorded the lowest inventory ever since they began keeping records in 2010. New construction is still very active on Maui, with several affordable housing projects as well as luxury condominium complexes set to be completed  between now and 2022.

To read the full interview The Maui News did with Eugene Tian click here.

 

Due to the spike in COVID-19 cases on Maui, Governor Ige gave Mayor Michael Victorino the authority to amend the current emergency rules. The new rules go into effect today. Here are the highlights.

- Retail occupancy is now limited to 30% to allow more room for social distancing.

- Bars and restaurants are now required to close at 10pm or earlier. Drive-throughs, non-liquor related takeout and room service are all exempt from this new rule.

In addition to pre-travel testing requirements for both inter-island and transpacific travelers, they are also now required to download either the AlohaSafe Alert app or another Google-Apple Exposure Notification System app. Travelers can also enable their exposure notification setting on their phone.

Face coverings must now be worn while walking to and from the beach or pool. They can only be removed once you are stationary and socially distanced from the people around you.

-Even if the venue is outdoors, a mask must be worn at gyms, yoga studios, and wellness centers.

While these rules mentioned  above are slightly different from rules that were already in place, it’s important to keep yourself informed on the latest developments coming out of the Mayor’s office.