Submission for vacationers
Hawaii tourists will have to pay climate tax in the future
A flame inferno had destroyed parts of the Hawaii island of Maui in 2023. The US state now wants to ask holidaymakers more to the checkout – with a levy for climate consequences. Not everyone convinces that.
A new climate tax for tourists in Hawaii triggers worries of the holiday paradise for the shop. From 2026 onwards, the new delivery is to finance projects that protect nature and combat climate change. “As an island chain, Hawaii cannot wait for the next catastrophe before we take measures. We now have to build up resistance,” wrote the governor of the US state of Hawaii, Josh Green, on Wednesday (local time) on the platform X.
Hawaii was the first US state that introduced such a tax for climate intenses, had previously announced the governor’s office. According to the estimates, the “Green Fee” (green delivery) will bring in almost $ 100 million annually, the equivalent of around 88 million euros.
Memories of the tragedy on Maui
The tax is also a reaction to the catastrophic forest fires on Maui around two years ago. A flame lingero destroyed parts of the island in August 2023. More than 100 people had died. The picturesque coastal town of Lahaina in the west Mauis was almost completely burned down. Scientists warn that climate change make extreme weather events such as storms, floods and fires more likely.
How much money will tourists have to pay?
Specifically, it is about an increase of 0.75 percent to an existing tax for travelers who spend the night in hotels or holiday apartments from January 1, 2026, “USA Today” reported. For the first time, overnight stays on cruise ships are to be taxed. According to the newspaper, a hotel price of $ 300 per night would be $ 2.25 more per night. According to the broadcaster Hawaii News Now, the tax burden for Hawaii visitors has a total of around 19 percent – and is therefore one of the highest in the USA.
“I’m very worried that it will be too expensive for the people who come to Hawaii,” the broadcaster quoted the president of the Hotaii Hotel Alliance, Jerry Gibson. “You always have to weigh these decisions, and we will certainly come to a point where we really have to be careful and be careful.”
On the other hand, Carl Bonham from the University of Hawaii told the broadcaster: “A small change in the tax to your accommodation is probably not enough to get her to change Hawaii as a travel destination.” However, you can lead to tourists spending less money on restaurants or excursions.
According to the Hawaii tourism authority, around ten million visitors came in 2023.
dpa
Source: Stern
