HONOLULU, Hawaii: The islands’ leaders are engaged on streamlining the journey course of for Japanese vacationers, making it extra handy for them to go to the picturesque islands.
The plan includes establishing a pre-clearance program, permitting Japanese vacationers to endure immigration, customs, and agricultural inspections earlier than departing for Hawaii. This initiative goals to scale back ready occasions at Honolulu Airport and improve the general customer expertise.
Governor Josh Green and different state officers just lately proposed this idea throughout their go to to Tokyo, emphasizing its potential to rejuvenate tourism in Hawaii. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impression on tourism from Japan, which traditionally has been one in every of Hawaii’s key worldwide customer markets.
The state is especially keen to draw Japanese vacationers attributable to its familiarity with Hawaiian tradition and its accountable stewardship of the land, known as “aina” within the native language. Governor Green believes implementing a pre-clearance program may additionally result in establishing direct flight routes to different Hawaiian islands, equivalent to Maui.
While discussions about this pre-clearance program have been ongoing, there are nonetheless issues about its value and sensible implementation. State House Speaker Scott Saiki, who accompanied Governor Green on the Tokyo go to, indicated that Japanese officers have been however had questions on this system’s logistics and enforcement.
Governor Green intends to hunt help from Hawaii’s congressional delegation to assist flip this pre-clearance program right into a actuality, with the objective of reinvigorating tourism from Japan to the Hawaiian islands.