Tourism returns to Hawaii thanks to new COVID-19 testing program

Retailers welcome the Safe Travels Hawaii program as they are eager for the economy to rebound.

The Safe Travels Hawaii program officially launched Oct. 15. The new program allows travelers to the islands the option to bypass the state’s 14-day quarantine requirement if they test negative for COVID-19 within three days prior to entry with a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT). On March 26, Hawaii Gov. David Ige issued the order requiring travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their stay, whichever is shorter.

Ige and several state leaders welcomed passengers and checked out the new verification process at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Oct. 15.

“Today is a big day for us because it signifies to the world that we are excited and ready to safely welcome visitors and returning residents to our beautiful island home. It’s also an important milestone in reviving our economy,” said Ige. “The residents of Hawaii have sacrificed tremendously to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

Ige says the state will be monitoring the program closely and adjustments will be made as necessary.

The reopening is welcome news for Michael McGinnis, who owns four retail stores in Hawaii: Divine Planet in Hanalei and Koloa, Aloha Hanalei and Kaloa Trading Post. All four stores specialize in what McGinnis describes as visitor-oriented resort merchandise.

He also owns a wholesale business, Whirled Planet, that makes printed products such as postcards, coasters, magnets, wood frames and metal signs that incorporate a combination of vintage images and art from local artists.

“It’s been weird,” he says of the last seven months. “If you came to Hawaii between late March and Oct. 15 you had to quarantine for two weeks, so our tourism numbers went down 97% for the whole state,” he says. “On Kauai where I live, tourism is what drives the economy. There’s very little agriculture, very little construction and a small military presence.”

McGinnis says the island has only seen about 60 cases of COVID-19 since March and often has months where there are no cases because of the strict travel restrictions, “but the economy is just decimated.”

The impact on the economy is worse than when Hurricane Iniki struck the island in 1992, according to McGinnis. He says he had to temporarily close two of his stores because “there was no point in having them open.” He estimates unemployment is at 18% on Kauai.

But, in less than a week of the new Safe Travels Hawaii program, McGinnis has already seen traffic pick up at his four stores. “We’ve seen our numbers rebound. We are about at 30% of what we used to seeing in a normal year, which we are just totally grateful for.”

Like many other retailers, McGinnis started selling online when travel was restricted. He also focused on his manufacturing business, selling his printed products on websites like Etsy and Faire.

“It’s still a day by day thing at this point,” he says, as customers start to trickle into his stores.

More details about Safe Travels Hawaii program are available at www.hawaiicovid19.com.