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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0835.001 2020-2022 COMM, 3:5!5 h0hak Goa5t RESORT ASSOCIATION June 14, 2022 Maile Medeiros David, Chair Aaron Chung,Vice Chair Hawaii County Council Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, HI 96720 RE:Support for Bill 435-22—Partnership with Hawaii Tourism Authority to Establish a Resilience Corps and Further Community Collaboration Programs Dear Chair David,Vice Chair Chung and Members of the Hawaii County Council, The Kohala Coast Resort Association (KCRA) is in support of Bill 435-22 establishing a partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority to Establish a Resilience Corps and Further Community Collaboration Programs. Our Vice President, Craig Anderson, is one of the co-chairs of Hawaii Island's Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP)Steering Committee,and members of our hotels and resorts are active partners in plan's implementation. We set the tone for respectful tourism,grounded in the values of our host culture,within our properties.We have full time Hawaiian cultural advisors,ocean stewards,and security teams on site,who help shape our guests'experiences during their stay. But we recognize that only a fraction of the visitors who come to Hawaii Island stay with us. We have a total of 3,950 rooms within our hotels and timeshares on the Kohala Coast. AlltheRooms.com shows that there are an additional 4,435 active short term vacation rental listings on Hawaii Island,with many of those listings representing entire homes with multiple bedrooms,so there are likely between 10,000 and 20,000 STVR rooms.That's why we've repeatedly requested that Hawaii County create a comprehensive list of all accommodations across the island, so that our public servants and our community know exactly how many rooms are available,where they are located, and therefore how many guests are on island at any given time. Though some of those short-term rentals are owned and operated by responsible local residents,who share our island's values with their guests, many, many more are investment vehicles for off-island owners,who do not have the same level of interaction with their guests and are not on site to address negative situations when they arise. Unfortunately, this lack of communication with our visitors leads to tensions within the community,and we truly appreciate Bill 435- 22's efforts to help address these challenges. KCRA members employ 5,000 people,supporting 20,000 Hawaii Island residents at their hotels,timeshares, restaurants, retail outlets,golf courses and spas.Additionally, in 2022, KCRA members will pay an estimated$60 million in state and county TAT, and$40 million in state and county GET. Further in 2020 KCRA members,and the residents within our resorts, paid more than$73 million in property taxes to Hawaii County, one fifth of total. Sincerely, Stephanie Donoho,Administrative Director, Kohala Coast Resort Association PO Box 6991,Ka uela,FII 96743*(808)747-5762*kohalacoastresortassnC+��mall.com* ,koh C� Ref, To: Ref. Rafe JUN -1 5 2022.