Starting March 26, U.S. travelers headed to Hawaii will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before their departure to avoid a mandatory Aloha State quarantine.
Hawaii Governor David Ige announced the policy change yesterday afternoon during a Honolulu press conference, saying the state will end its travel quarantine and Safe Travels Hawaii program on March 25.
Passengers arriving from any domestic destination will not have to show proof of vaccination or a pre-travel test, and they will not have to create a Safe Travels account.
“Passengers arriving from any domestic destination will not have to show proof of vaccination or a pre-travel test, and they will not have to create a Safe Travels account,” Ige explained. “They will not have to provide travel information and trip information as they have been, and all pre- and post-arrival screening will end.”
More than 11.3 million passengers have been screened through the Safe Travels Hawaii program since it was launched Oct. 15, 2020, according to Ige, who said cases counts and hospitalizations are continuing to drop statewide, but Hawaii’s indoor mask mandate will remain in place until further notice.
“The pandemic is not over,” Ige cautioned. “Tragically, we continue to see those whom we know and love continue to suffer from COVID-19. … We’re not out of the woods. We do know how quickly variants can be introduced into our communities and can spread. We will continue to evaluate the situation and make appropriate changes as necessary.”
John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, applauded the policy change in a statement issued Tuesday.
“Bringing the Safe Travels program to a close reflects the progress we have made as a state,” De Fries said. “And Governor Ige’s decision is a good balance of maintaining reasonable health precautions while reopening our society and economy.”
Safe Access Oahu Will End March 6
Meanwhile, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced late last week that the Safe Access Oahu program, which required restaurants and events serving food to verify customers were either fully vaccinated or had proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to entry, will come to an end March 6.
And Kauai, Hawaii Island and Maui have all repealed their COVID-19 Emergency Rules, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Hawaii Will Become a Top Travel Destination for 2022
Jack Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, said that as concerns about the Omicron variant have declined in recent weeks, his company has begun to see Hawaii bookings return to a pre-pandemic pace. And news about the official end to Hawaii’s vaccination verification and pre-test program for domestic travelers will likely just add to that already building momentum, according to Richards.
Given the uncertainty that has resulted from the invasion of Ukraine, people are probably going to stay a little bit closer to home, and Hawaii fits that mold perfectly.
“For the entire pandemic, Mexico has clearly been the leader in flexibility for travel,” Richards said. “This changes the game, and Hawaii is now very, very competitive with Mexico and the other competitive destinations.”
Richards indicated that Hawaii may also now be in a position to gain market share from destinations it doesn’t traditionally compete against.
“Given the uncertainty that has resulted from the invasion of Ukraine, people are probably going to stay a little bit closer to home, and Hawaii fits that mold perfectly,” he said. “Now you remove the travel restrictions, and it just makes it much easier to fly to and from Hawaii.”
Kari Mollan, a Stellar Travel advisor in Bellevue, Wash., said Wednesday that her bookings to Hawaii have been booming in recent weeks, and she also expects the end of the state’s Safe Travels program to further boost her business to the destination.
There was some parity between Hawaii and Mexico, but now it’s like, ‘If I don’t have to do a test for Hawaii, that’s going to make my life easier.’ And you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in destination.
“It definitely makes Hawaii easier and much more competitive,” Mollan said. “There was some parity between Hawaii and Mexico, but now it’s like, ‘If I don’t have to do a test for Hawaii, that’s going to make my life easier.’ And you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in destination. That’s been our clients’ biggest fear: What if they test positive? … That does have people cautious, thinking ‘I can’t afford to be stuck in a country for 10 days.’ With Hawaii, you don’t have that fear you’re going to get stuck in destination.”
Plan Ahead
Mollan was quick to note, however, that organizing a trip to Hawaii for later this spring and summer remains very different from the planning required for an Aloha State vacation before the pandemic.
“We’re stressing to everybody — plan, plan, plan,” Mollan explained, noting that capacity restrictions for popular Hawaii eateries and activities have led to constraint challenges. “You’re not traveling like it was 2019 and flying by the seat of your pants when it comes to doing stuff like dining and sightseeing or luaus. You might think, ‘Oh, I’m not going until June, I don’t need to think about that.’ Well, that restaurant may already be full, or that sailboat trip that now only holds 10 people doesn’t have any availability. So plan, plan, plan. You’ll be thankful when you get there and you can do stuff and the people next to you can’t.”
The Details
Hawaii Tourism Authority
