Hannemann Resigns As Chair Of Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Amid Freebie Inquiry

Tourism executive and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann resigned as chair of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Thursday after questions were raised over possible inappropriate use of HTA resources by two nonprofits he leads.

Hannemann told the board shortly before noon that “the best thing for me to do is to step down as chair, and then I will have to think whether I want to stay on the board, because the reputations of those incredible, important organizations have been put into question.”

The HTA board then elected boad member Todd Apo as its new chair.

HTA board members on Tuesday questioned Hannemann at length about the Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association’s public safety conference at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on Dec. 6, 2023, and a meeting of the Pacific Century Fellows at the convention center on May 15 of last year.

Hannemann is president and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association, which advocates for the hotel and tourism industries. He is also founder of the Pacific Century Fellows program, a nonprofit leadership training organization.

Jimmy Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, has said the ethics commission has begun interviewing people as part of an inquiry into more than $14,000 in food and beverages provided for the two events. Tokioka is also an HTA board member.

Tokioka said in an interview that HTA documents show HLTA and Pacific Century were supposed to pay for breakfasts served at those events that cost more than $14,000, but there was no record of payment.

Hannemann announced his resignation after the board discussed those gatherings for the second time this week. He suggested the HTA board should instead be focusing on Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry.

“People watching from everywhere will say, ‘Can’t those guys get on with the business of tourism?’” Hannemann said. “‘Can’t they get on with the business of making sure there’s funding? Can’t they get on with the business of making sure that the staff that works there is appreciated?’”

It’s the second major shakeup in HTA leadership in a week.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported March 20 that HTA had appointed Caroline Anderson its new interim president and CEO following the resignation of interim top leader Daniel Naho’opi’i, who had been in the role for a year and a half.

“Naho’opi’i, who ends his tenure Friday at HTA, had been the agency’s 11th top leader since the state Legislature created the HTA in 1998,” according to the article.