Hawaii will raise visitor taxes to tackle climate change

By Daryl Huff for Hawaiʻi News Now

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Gov. Josh Green is celebrating lawmakers’ decision to increase tourist taxes and dedicate the new money to what they call Hawaii’s climate emergency.

Making it happen required compromise and resisting a threat from the cruise ship industry.

Green first called for a “green fee” on tourists during his campaign three years ago.

Now he says there will be hundreds of millions for climate-related projects without driving visitors away.

Click here to read the article and watch the recording aired on April 28, 2025.