Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

In January 2024, total visitor arrivals to the Hawaiian Islands and total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars declined compared to January 2023.

DBEDT, in partnership with the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, will be presenting the Hawaii-Philippines Sister Province Symposium on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at the Hawaii Convention Center.

February was another busy month as our department hosted workshops, programs, conferences, and marked milestones. This included the commemoration of the Hawaii-Ehime Prefecture sister-state reaffirmation, Made in Hawaii e-commerce conference, Creative Lab Music Immersive on Hawaii Island, publishing of the Hawaii Digital Equity Plan, and much more.

Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. — HHFDC clarified today several misstatements made by AARP Hawaii (AARP) in its Feb. 26 press release regarding the possible loss of the affordability of approximately 10,000 housing units in the state over the next 20 years.

We are pleased to introduce the new quarterly newsletter of the Research and Economic Analysis Division (READ) of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, READ Insights, which will highlight various publications and include a sampling of recent and ongoing reports that have been issued.