STAND. COM. REP. NO.  123

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 991

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Tourism & Culture, to which was referred H.B. No. 991 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOURISM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to enhance local tourism-related marketing efforts by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to set aside ten percent of its annual marketing budget to conduct marketing campaigns locally;

 

     (2)  Allowing HTA to promote its interest and positions and projects within the State; and

 

     (3)  Providing that HTA may enter into contracts and agreements that include product and workforce development and diversification issues focused on visitors.

 

     HTA opposed this bill.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association offered comments. 

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Changing the percentage of HTA's annual marketing budget to be set aside for local marketing campaigns to an unspecified amount to encourage further discussion;

 

     (2)  Changing the bill's effective date to July 1, 2025, to encourage further discussion;

 

     (3)  Clarifying that HTA is authorized to promote the tourism industry's interest and positions and projects within the state, instead of its own; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism & Culture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 991, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 991, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism & Culture,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair