HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – It’s shaping up to be a slower-than-usual summer for Hawaii’s tourism industry, but business leaders hope events that market the islands’ unique local food and products can turn that around.

The state expects total visitor arrivals to grow only about 2 percent this year. Numbers slid half a percent in April from the previous year, with the largest market, West Coast tourists, falling nearly 5 percent. The statewide hotel occupancy rate averaged 76.4 percent.

Economists blame higher airfares, rising inflation, fewer international visitors and uncertainty following the March kona low storms.

State-supported events like the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association’s (HLTA) Hawaii Hotel and Restaurant Show and DBEDT’s Hawaii Made Conference aim to boost tourism by promoting products you can only find in Hawaii.

“We’re going to continue to struggle, but we can’t stop promoting. We can’t stop advocating,” said HLTA President/CEO Mufi Hannemann. “If you can travel during these times, you’re going to come and have a wonderful experience in Hawaii whether you’re just coming for sun and surf or you’re coming here to immerse in our culture or to do business, this is the place to come.”

And those who do come are spending more.

At the Hotel and Restaurant Show this week, local food manufacturers hoped to secure more buyers in the hospitality industry.

Many rely on business and leisure visitors trying their products while in Hawaii and taking them back home where they promote it.

“The traceability that you want to know where your food is coming from,” said June Rees, general manager of Kauai Shrimp, which has 40 ponds off the coast of Kekaha. You’ll find their shrimp on many menus across the islands.

“There are a lot of people that heard about us but never tried, so this show gives us exposure to the new restaurant or chef that have heard about the name but never really tried the product.”

But fewer tourists mean less sales and slower business growth and investment.

Jina Wye is the founder of Okonokai, which makes snacks from native seaweed grown off the Kona coast on Hawaii Island.

“It’s like a superfood that everyone should be eating everyday,” she said. “There’s a lot of just missing infrastructure for manufacturing, but that’s something that we’re working on. It’s actually why I’m part of this whole like DBEDT pavilion because the state is really working hard to develop more infrastructure.”

For the family behind Aloha Star Coffee Farm, getting their award-winning premium kona coffee into airports, hotels and restaurants is key.

“Getting the opportunity to find the market niche that we need,” said Karina Rodriguez, co-owner of Aloha Star Coffee. “We are small, that sometimes we don’t have all the resources for marketing and, and going to the biggest stores, and we are working on that.”

Food entrepreneurs will get another chance to promote their products at DBEDT’s Hawaii Made Conference this Tuesday at the Sheraton Waikiki. Click here to register and for more information.

The 16th Hawaii Food & Wine Festival is another event that promotes local chefs and restaurants while promoting tourism. It spans three weekends from Oct. 16 to Nov. 8 across three islands. Find information here.

The state Department of Transportation is holding its third community information meeting for the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole master plan update.

The meeting is from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the West Hawaii Civic Center.

The meeting will begin with a presentation at 6:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session.

The master plan is the long-range planning document used to guide future improvements at the airport, which is known by the three-letter code KOA. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to review the initial master plan alternatives and share questions and feedback with the project team.

According to the website at koamasterplanupdate.com, the master planning process began in January 2025, and completion is scheduled for September 2026. The purpose of the project, the website states, is to develop a “comprehensive, forward-looking plan that ensures investment into this critical community asset follows a collective vision that benefits the island’s residents and its economy over the next 20 years.”

The master plan’s framework, according to DOT, incorporates eight key objectives, which include:

• Identifying measures to enhance safety for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing activities at the airport.

• Enhancing the passenger experience by evaluating travel paths, improving wayfinding, and modernizing the terminal with enhanced amenities while preserving the airport’s unique feel and sense of place.

• Integrating a second “right-sized” runway into the airport’s makai-side infrastructure to boost resiliency, operational capacity and efficiency.

• Enhancing mauka-side connectivity by providing additional airport access, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow.

• Ensuring a reliable supply of power and jet fuel to support future airport operations.

• Pursuing the development of airport lands and facilities in accordance with grant assurances, leveraging nonaeronautical developments, such as hotels and commercial buildings, to generate additional revenue.

• Creating a phased implementation plan that prioritizes key projects while balancing long-term goals, near-term plans (i.e., terminal improvements), cost-effectiveness and funding availability.

• Ensuring the master plan supplements the regional development goals illustrated in the Kona Community Development Plan, reflecting community values and priorities through effective stakeholder engagement.

“Continued improvements and modernization at the airport are important for the community and for this facility, which connects us to the rest of the state and to the world, as well as bringing in the visitors who are a vital part of West Hawaii’s economy,” Rep. Nicole Lowen, a Democrat who represents the district that includes the KOA, said Wednesday. “As the airport plans for the next 20 years, it is important that the community and the people who use the airport the most have a voice in shaping its future.

“I encourage residents to attend the upcoming public meeting and share their manaʻo on how the airport can best be improved to serve our needs.”

Sen. Dru Kanuha, who also represents the district including the airport, said he appreciates DOT’s “continued outreach and the opportunity for our West Hawaii community” to help shape the facility’s future.

“As our island continues to grow, it’s important that long-term planning reflects both our transportation needs and our community values,” Kanuha said. “Any modernization of KOA must prioritize safety, efficiency and the overall traveler experience, while also being mindful of impacts to surrounding communities — particularly in North Kona. Issues like traffic, noise, parking and environmental stewardship need to be carefully considered as this plan moves forward.”

Anyone requiring an auxiliary aid or service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for non-English speaking persons, is asked to contact Christina McWhorter, DOT project manager, at (808) 838-8817 or christina.f.mcwhorter@hawaii.gov, as soon as possible. The earlier a request is made, the greater the chance of accommodation.

Email John Burnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A piece of equipment designed to provide temporary water access across Oahu is now being targeted by thieves, prompting concerns from officials over rising losses and illegal water use.

The Board of Water Supply rents out temporary meters for construction sites, public events and emergency use when potable water is needed in areas without direct service.

But officials say some of the devices are being stolen despite heavy security measures.

At installation sites, the meters are wrapped in thick steel chains and secured with multiple heavy-duty padlocks to deter tampering and theft.

“For somebody to try and take it, because you saw the chain, it’s the big links. They’re thick links, so you’d have to come with a grinder or an extremely heavy-duty bolt cutter. So it’s not impossible to remove it, but it requires quite a bit of effort to remove it,” said Kathleen Pahinui, public information officer for the Board of Water Supply.

According to the agency, about 22 temporary fire hydrant meters have been illegally removed over the past two and a half years. Eight of those thefts occurred in just the past three months.

Officials say the motive behind the thefts is not confirmed, but potential drivers include scrap value or misuse of the meters to divert water for unauthorized use.

“And we don’t want people basically stealing water because then we all end up paying for that theft,” Pahinui said.

Each temporary meter costs about $3,000 to replace, and the Board of Water Supply says responsibility for protecting the device falls on the permit holder once it is installed.

“The person who has the contract with us has to replace it,” Pahinui said.

State Sen. Brenton Awa said one stolen meter on the North Shore had been serving the Haleiwa Seed Bank, where volunteers are planting coconut and ulu trees for the community.

“We set this up with the Board of Water so that we’re within the rules, we’re paying for the water, for the project, for the community. And then it just wasn’t here one day,” Awa said.

“It’s a piece of metal on the side of the road. Who’s going to steal this thing? But apparently… it’s worth something,” Awa added.

Under Hawaii law, scrap yards are prohibited from purchasing municipal, utility or state owned equipment without proper documentation.

Recyclers say materials commonly found in the meters, including brass and bronze, typically sell for about $2 to $3 per pound depending on grade. While the scrap value is relatively low, companies say functioning used meters can resell for hundreds of dollars.

The Board of Water Supply is urging the public to report any suspicious activity involving temporary meters by calling (808) 748-5000.