URGING THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO ADVANCE EFFORTS TO EMERGE AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM THAT PRESERVES AND RESTORES CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES, ENHANCES RESIDENT QUALITY OF LIFE, AND ENSURES HIGH-QUALITY VISITOR EXPERIENCES.

HR45

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

45

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the executive branch to advance efforts to emerge
as a global leader in sustainable tourism that preserves and restores cultural
and natural resources, enhances resident quality of life, and ensures
high-quality visitor experiences
.

����
WHEREAS, UN
Tourism defines "sustainable tourism" as "tourism that takes
full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental
impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, and the environment
and host communities"; and

����
WHEREAS, unsustainable
tourism degrades cultural and natural resources and forces residents to compete
with tourists for the same space, resources, and infrastructure; and

����
WHEREAS, tourists
desire to engage in sustainable tourism practices and are willing to pay
additional fees to do so in Hawaii; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan states that one of its primary focuses is to
promote sustainable economic recovery through "support[ing] Native
Hawaiian culture & reduc[ing] impacts of the tourism industry to local
communities" and "reduc[ing] the environmental footprint of the
tourism industry"; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Hawaii Tourism Authority 2020-2025 Strategic Plan states that the Authority
endeavors "to strategically manage Hawaii tourism in a sustainable manner
consistent with economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural
resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs"; and

����
WHEREAS, existing
law mandates that the Hawaii Tourism Authority "[d]evelop, coordinate, and
implement state policies and directions for tourism and related activities
taking into account the economic, social, and physical impacts of tourism on
the State, Hawaii's natural environment, and areas frequented by visitors";
and

����
WHEREAS, the
efforts of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and Department of Business,
Economic Development, and Tourism to assess the sustainability of
tourist-serving businesses are non-accredited, voluntary, dependent on
self-assessment, and have limited participation, restricting their ability to
achieve useful outcomes; and

����
WHEREAS, sustainable
tourism can protect cultural and natural resources, enhance resident quality of
life, boost local economies, and create more enriching tourist experiences;
now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Executive Branch is urged to
advance efforts to emerge as a global leader in sustainable tourism that
preserves and restores cultural and natural resources, enhances resident
quality of life, and ensures high-quality visitor experiences; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Executive Branch is urged to:

����
(1)
�
Mandate tourist-serving businesses, including
hotels, transient accommodation operators, and tour operators, to be assessed
and certified in sustainable tourism practices by an accredited third-party
with no financial interests in the tourist-serving business, such as the Global
Sustainable Tourism Council;

����
(2)
�
Become, as soon as practicable, a Certified
Sustainable Destination by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which
includes pursuing sustainable management and cultural, socio-economic, and
environmental sustainability;

����
(3)
�
Acknowledge the value of sustainable tourism
in promoting cultural and natural resource restoration and preservation,
enhanced resident quality of life, and high-quality visitor experiences;

����
(4)
�
Acknowledge that the State's present-day
tourism industry is not culturally, environmentally, and economically
sustainable and must urgently adopt and effectively enforce sustainable
practices;

����
(5)
�
Acknowledge that sustainable tourism is more
economically viable than Hawaii's present-day tourism industry, since
sustainable tourism preserves and restores the cultural and natural resources
that drive the industry;

����
(6)
�
Acknowledge that sustainability in Hawaii must
involve restoring and preserving Native Hawaii ancestral land, rights, and
practices, and thus tourism must stop the ongoing exploitation of Native
Hawaiian cultural and natural resources;

����
(7)
�
Minimize the expansion of tourist
accommodations until sustainable practices are adopted and effectively enforced
to reduce stress on the State's residents, infrastructure, and environment; and

����
(8)
�
Continue to actively co-develop policies and
financial incentives with Hawaii residents, cultural stewards, and environmentalist
organizations to ensure tourist-serving businesses honor the shared
responsibility to preserve and restore cultural and natural resources; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Secretary-General of the UN Tourism; Chief Executive Officer of the Global
Sustainable Tourism Council; Hawaii's congressional delegation; Governor;
Lieutenant Governor; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chair of
the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chief Executive Officer
of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; and President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Sustainable
Tourism; Certification; Cultural and Natural Resources