Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

Governor Josh Green, M.D., and Governor Tokihiro Nakamura of Ehime Prefecture, reaffirmed the Hawaii-Ehime sister-state agreement on Friday, February 9, 2024.

DBEDT, in collaboration with industry leaders Amazon and Shopify, announced today that the first-ever “Made in Hawaii Presents: Your Future in E-Commerce” conference will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel on Wednesday, February 21.

Total visitor arrivals to the Hawaiian Islands (860,831 visitors, -1.3%) and total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars ($1.96 billion, -1.2%) were down slightly in December 2023, compared to December 2022.

DBEDT today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 2.9 percent, the same as in October and November.

Paving the way toward a more vibrant locally created media industry, Hawaii State DBEDT’s Creative Industries Division is supporting awards season marketing for local films to reach global audiences.

DBEDT and County of Maui Office of Economic Development convened the first meeting of the Maui Economic Recovery Commission on January 5, 2024 at the University of Hawaii Maui College in Kahului, Hawaii.

Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority — An analysis of the NELHA Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park at Keahole Point found that the total economic impact of the park was $145.4 million in 2022.

After recording three consecutive months of decreases in both visitor arrivals and visitor spending, November 2023 data showed a modest growth in visitor arrivals, but total visitor spending continued to decline compared to a year ago.

DBEDT today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 2.9 percent, the same as in October.

Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corp. — A new flyer spotlights the urgent need for more property owners to offer up their homes and dwelling units through the Hawaii Fire Relief Housing Program.