08-26-2019, 07:08 AM
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/08/2...-industry/
The festival cancellation piggybacks on earlier reported tourism impacts, mainly from the eight tour companies that have permits to bring visitors to Mauna Kea, especially the three or so whose businesses exclusively rely on Mauna Kea, said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawai'i Visitors Bureau.
"An average of $150,000 every month is being lost by each of the operators," Birch said. "A couple of operators, where Mauna Kea is their only business, have gone out of business or are very close to closing, and a few others are having great challenges."
The protests are disrupting Hawaii island tourism at a time when the island was starting to recover from last year’s Kilauea eruption. Just how much of a disruption it is will take time to determine.
...
Monte "Pat" Wright, owner of the tour firm Mauna Kea Summit Adventures, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser earlier this month that nine of his 12 employees had to be laid off because they can’t get up the mountain.
Blocked access also has affected larger tour companies like Roberts Hawaii.
Surely someone will do sometihng to protect the precious revenue... hahaha yeah right.
The festival cancellation piggybacks on earlier reported tourism impacts, mainly from the eight tour companies that have permits to bring visitors to Mauna Kea, especially the three or so whose businesses exclusively rely on Mauna Kea, said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawai'i Visitors Bureau.
"An average of $150,000 every month is being lost by each of the operators," Birch said. "A couple of operators, where Mauna Kea is their only business, have gone out of business or are very close to closing, and a few others are having great challenges."
The protests are disrupting Hawaii island tourism at a time when the island was starting to recover from last year’s Kilauea eruption. Just how much of a disruption it is will take time to determine.
...
Monte "Pat" Wright, owner of the tour firm Mauna Kea Summit Adventures, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser earlier this month that nine of his 12 employees had to be laid off because they can’t get up the mountain.
Blocked access also has affected larger tour companies like Roberts Hawaii.
Surely someone will do sometihng to protect the precious revenue... hahaha yeah right.