A survey carried out by the Hawaii Tourism Authority has revealed that guests to the islands between late December and early January were pleased despite limitations caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
A majority of visitors who traveled to Hawaii from the continental U.S. mentioned their pre-travel testing through the Hawaii Safe Travels program went smoothly.
Almost 90% of visitors surveyed reported their visits were “excellent.”
The survey conducted between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4 gauged visitor experiences with the state-operated Safe Travels program and overall trip satisfaction.
Among those who mentioned they were sad with their trips, 39% mentioned their dissatisfaction was rooted in a lack of available activities within the midst of the pandemic.
Only 29% of respondents claimed they were able to do everything they hoped for throughout their trips, with the majority citing various coronavirus effects as reasons for skipping activities.
Travelers submitting to the Safe Travels program can submit negative results from virus tests taken no more than 72 hours before arriving to avoid a 10-day quarantine.
Less than 1% of respondents were unaware of the state’s pre-arrival testing protocols before leaving their home states.
Yet the survey found 21% of respondents experienced issues during pre-travel testing. Within that group, 46% mentioned the 72-hour window for testing before flights were unreasonable.
Other difficulties included 15% percent who mentioned test outcomes didn’t arrive on time before departure and 37% % who had difficulty finding trusted partners to perform tests.
Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, mentioned travel partners on the West Coast have been overwhelmed by the volume of travelers and take longer to process results.
Whereas there are fewer partners on the East Coast, they produce results more quickly, Birch mentioned.
Even as visitors return, travelers’ businesses may need extra time to financially recover.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate signs, like fever and cough that clear up in two to 3 weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health issues — it can cause extra severe illness, including pneumonia, and demise.
