THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

20

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM AND THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VISITORS FROM TAIWAN.

 

 


     WHEREAS, in 2006, 593,000 visitors from Taiwan arrived in the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, in that year, the United States received only 6.8 per cent of the total number of outbound travelers from Taiwan, less than the ten per cent in previous years; and

 

     WHEREAS, the number of Taiwanese visitors who visited Hawaii in 2006 was only 15,450 -- not a significant percentage of all visitors; and

 

     WHEREAS, data indicate that the Taiwan market may be a potential source of new visitors to Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, diversification of the tourism markets from which Hawaii draws visitors is a logical and important public policy goal that will help mitigate any adverse effects inherent in the potentially volatile visitor industry; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State and the tourism industry should actively promote Hawaii as a destination for visitors from Taiwan, especially in light of the fact that the people of Taiwan and the people of Hawaii have much in common; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Hawaii Tourism Authority are requested to undertake activities to increase the number of visitors to Hawaii from Taiwan to the maximum extent possible; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to work with the appropriate federal agencies to ease travel requirements for visitors from Taiwan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the United States Department of Homeland Security are requested to offer a visa waiver program to visitors from Taiwan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to develop a list of local products suitable for export to Taiwan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Chairperson of the Board of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hawaii, the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Taiwan; Tourism