Hawaii Increases Hotel and Cruise Taxes To Fight The Climate Crisis

Douglas McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief at Climate Crisis 24/7, reports that Hawaii has passed a pioneering bill to increase hotel and cruise taxes starting in January. The hotel tax will rise to 11%, with cruise taxes also set at 11%, aiming to raise $100 million annually for climate resilience projects. These include restoring Waikiki beaches, fire prevention, and hurricane mitigation. McIntyre notes that while this may impact Hawaii’s tourism appeal due to higher travel costs, the funding still may not be sufficient to fully address the state’s escalating climate threats.