Tourists visiting The Aloha State will see a new fee added to their hotel bill that lawmakers claim will help preserve and protect the popular island destination.
The proposed Climate Health and Environmental Action Special Fund; Transient Accommodations Tax will add a $25 surcharge in hopes of creating another source of revenue for Hawaii, which is dependent on tourist dollars.
Democrat Gov. Josh Green introduced the bill last month in hopes of raising an additional $68 million to state coffers and claims the money will be used to prevent a reoccurrence of last year's devastating Lahaina wildfires.
"It's a very small price to pay to preserve paradise," Green told The Wall Street Journal. He added that the new tax would fund a state fire marshal, new fire breaks to protect vulnerable communities, and disaster insurance.
Hawaii has 1.5 million residents and plays host to almost ten times that amount in annual visitors but has seen that number decrease since the wildfires. While supporters of the bill say it's needed to repair the damage tourists inflict on the environment, opponents say the tax will further alienate tourists.
In 2022 Green sought a $50 entry fee for all tourists entering the state but the bill failed to gain traction in the state legislature.
A climate tax is not unique to Hawaii with New Zealand, Greece, the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, and others impose their own fee on tourists.
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