Hawaii poised to slap tourists with $25 climate tax: ‘Small price to pay to preserve paradise’
NY Post
Lawmakers in Hawaii are poised to approve a $25 climate tax on tourists who visit the Aloha State in an effort to combat what they claim is an assault on the area’s natural resources.
The state, which saw 9.5 million people visit last year, is recovering from the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, which killed at least 100 people and caused damages worth around $6 billion.
The proposed tax will pay to protect beaches and prevent wildfires, state officials said.
“It’s a very small price to pay to preserve paradise,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, told The Wall Street Journal.
A tax by the nation’s 50th state would follow in the footsteps of other tourist hot spots including Greece; Venice, Italy; the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador; the Pacific island nation of Palau; Greece; and New Zealand — all of which have levied fees on tourist ranging from $1 to $100.
In 2022, Green campaigned on a platform of having all tourists pay a $50 fee to enter the state, but the proposal failed to gain the necessary votes in the state legislature.
