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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 079 Draft 01 1996-1998 ~- . . COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 7 ~ 97 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE KOREAN VISA WAIVER PROGRAM WHEREAS, growth in Korean travel to the United States has not kept pace with growth in travel to non-United States destinations, and cumbersome and time-consuming visa processing procedures are widely recognized as the cause of this loss of market share and competitiveness with alternative destinations; and WHEREAS, most of the nations of the South Pacific, Europe, and Canada do not currently require Koreans entering their countries to have a visa, thus providing them with a major competitive advantage in the tourism industry; and WHEREAS, the travel and tourism industry directly generates approximately one-quarter of the State's gross product and one-third of the State's jobs; and WHEREAS, since Hawaii's travel and tourism industry is and will continue to be the State's largest and most important industry for the foreseeable future, efforts to support and promote the industry should be intensified; and WHEREAS, to increase visitor travel between the United States and participating foreign countries, the U.S. Congress established a temporary visa waiver program as part of the Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986; and WHEREAS, the temporary visa waiver program has played a major role in boosting international visitor arrivals in Hawaii and elsewhere in the country; and WHEREAS, the United States territory of Guam has utilized the temporary visa waiver program to eliminate visa requirements for Koreans visiting Guam with impressive increases in travel and tourism from citizens of the Republic of Korea; and WHEREAS, the United States Congress, through H.R. No. 627 and S. No. 290, is considering the establishment of a three-year visa waiver pilot progr~ that would allow nationals of Korea traveling in tour groups admission to the United States without a visa; and WHEREA~, establishment of this visa waiver program would help to expand Hawaii's visitor industry and would especially assist the County of Hawaii's efforts to bring direct flights from the Republic of Korea to Keahole-Kona; and WHEREAS, the Hawaii Visitors Bureau predicts that a visa waiver program for Koreans traveling to Hawaii would result in 8% to 29% incremental growth in arrivals and expenditures which equates to between $35 and $38 million in additional visitor spending; and ~... ,. . . WHEREAS, any application under existing procedures to add the Republic of Korea, or any other nation, to the group of favored nations exempted from United States visa regulations would require many years during which time the United States could well lose its competitive advantages in attracting travel and tourism from the Republic of Korea; and WHEREAS, the Republic of Korea, as a gesture of goodwill, has already unilaterally exempted United States tourists who seek to enter the Republic of Korea from the requirement of obtaining a visa. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that it respectfully requests the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation to strongly support the passage ofH.R. No. 627 and S. No. 290, establishing a three-year visa waiver pilot program for Korean nationals visiting the United States in tour groups BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, each member of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaii and the Mayor of the County of Hawaii. Dated at Hilo, Hawaii, this 2nd day of June ,1997. TY OF HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii I hereby certify that the foregoiDg RESOLUTION was by the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of Hawaii on June 2, 1997 ATTEST: .&~ COUNTY CLERK. ROLL CALL VOTE AYES NOES ABS EX ARAKAKI X CHUNG X LEITIIEAD-TODD j{ RAY X REYNOLDS X SANTANGELO X SMITH X TYLER X YAGONG X ~ 0 0 0 Reference C-'L.77/FC - 86 79 97 cHAiRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.