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| Above, the battleship USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
If there is a constant in this universe, it is that blue states (controlled by Democrats) will find any means to tax people using overtourism or climate change as an excuse.
Hawaii is considering a $25 tourism tax. Of course, Hawaii is a Democrat-controlled state.
According to Lonely Planet:
Spending time on Hawaii’s gorgeous beaches or traipsing through its vibrant forests could cost travelers just a little more in the future.
Joining other nations struggling with the heavy burden of over-tourism, Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, proposed a $25 climate fee on tourists. The bill, HB206 is currently in committee in Hawaii’s legislature.
What lawmakers call the green fee, or visitor impact fee, is intended to raise funds to help protect beaches, prevent wildfires and offset the repercussions of nearly 10 million visitors per year. Hawaii’s population hovers at 1.6 million, meaning tourists make up the vast majority of people on the islands at any given time.
“A Climate Impact Fee on visitors would provide the needed resources to protect our environment and increase awareness of the impacts of climate change,” Green said. “I believe this is not too much to ask of visitors to our islands… Hawaii’s natural resources – our beaches, forests, and waterfalls – are an essential part of our culture and way of life.”
The proposed fee would be added to a visitor’s accommodation charge in lieu of raising hotel and resort taxes, which in Hawaii are already some of the highest in the world.
To read more, go here.
1 comment:
Gotta laugh (or cry) about the problem of "over-tourism." Governments spend a bundle trying to attract tourists because, they tell us, tourists pump a lot of money into the local economy. Then they bitch about all the tourists and tax them, which discourages tourists from coming. One might almost think that the people in charge don't know what they're doing!!!
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