Hawaii’s tourism agency is asking the governor to declare a tourism emergency, about six weeks after Hurricane Lowell hit Kauai. That sounds like it should change something about a trip to Waikiki. We read the board papers and the coverage, and for the way we travel it changes very little. We’d still book our usual dates at Hokulani Waikiki and keep the plan exactly as boring as it always is.
What happened
On October 8, 2026, the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s advisory board held a special virtual meeting with one action item: whether to request a tourism emergency declaration from the governor under state law (HRS §201B-9(a)).
The staff report in the meeting packet lays out the case. Lowell caused severe flooding and structural damage in parts of Kauai, including Poipu, Koloa and the North Shore. Resorts, hotels and vacation rentals on the south shore reported significant damage, closures and cancellations, and the report says Kauai unemployment claims “surged by thousands” after the storm. The budget line is $2.5 million, released from the Tourism Emergency Special Fund, “to support Kaua’i’s storm recovery efforts.”
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s October 18 story picks it up from there. According to the paper:
- the request is now with the governor’s office, and the campaign is pending approval
- if approved, it could launch as early as Wednesday (that would be Oct. 21) and run through January
- partners are the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, Expedia, Costco Travel and airline partners
- the focus is restoring demand for Poipu, Koloa and the North Shore
- HTA interim President and CEO Caroline Anderson said the goal is to counter the lingering idea that Kauai is still closed
The paper also reports a 59% plunge in Kauai visitor bookings. Board member Danny Ojiri put statewide booking demand down 23%, with Oahu down 25%, Maui 7% and Hawaii Island 6%. “This is not just Kauai,” he said. The story does not say what period those percentages cover or what they are compared with.
One more piece of context from HTA’s own files: the board’s May 1 meeting had a similar staff report, dated April 30, asking for a tourism emergency request too. That one was about economic uncertainty and storm-coverage perception statewide, with $5 million for brand marketing. We did not track what happened to it, so we’re only noting that the tool has come up before this year.
What it changes for a Waikiki stay
Not much on the ground. Nothing in the staff report or the story describes damage, closures or reduced service on Oahu. The money and the message are pointed at Kauai.
| Kauai | Waikiki / Oahu | |
|---|---|---|
| Damage named in the HTA staff report | Poipu, Koloa, North Shore | None mentioned |
| Where the $2.5M campaign aims | Kauai visitor areas | Not the target |
| Booking figure reported | Down 59% (Star-Advertiser) | Down 25% (Ojiri, per the paper) |
| Flight changes reported | Fewer West Coast–Lihue flights | None reported |
The flight changes are worth spelling out for mainland readers, because they only hit people flying straight to Lihue. The paper reports that Alaska and Hawaiian are cutting one daily West Coast–Lihue round trip over the holidays: Oakland–Lihue nonstops are suspended Nov. 1–19 and Dec. 17–Jan. 4, and Portland–Lihue Nov. 20–Dec. 16. HVCB’s Jeffrey Eslinger said Kauai is projected to keep about 95% of planned airline seats through March. Honolulu flights are not part of that list.
The Oahu number is the one that touches us, and it is a demand number, not a price. Softer demand can show up as sales. Alaska and Hawaiian’s regional communications director told the paper the carriers are responding with fare sales, in the context of their Kauai cuts. But nothing we read promises lower Waikiki room rates, and the HTA campaign, as described, is marketing, not a coupon.
What we’d do — and what we wouldn’t
We’d keep our usual dates. We book our weeks with HGV points, and what a reservation costs comes from the published chart for that season, not from a tourism agency’s ad budget. A slow fall on Oahu does not make our suite cheaper, and we would not expect it to.
We wouldn’t wait for a deal. The campaign may bring offers through Expedia, Costco Travel or the airlines, since they are named partners. None has been announced in what we read. Holding off on booking in hopes of one is how you end up with worse flight times. If you are paying cash for flights, check fares the normal way and grab a good one if it shows up.
We’d expect Waikiki to feel normal. Our days are takeout, a walk, groceries, and a 2 p.m. happy hour. None of that depends on Kauai. If Oahu bookings really are down a quarter, the most likely thing we’d notice is an easier time getting a seat at the bar, and we would not complain about that.
A Kauai leg is not on our list when we go, since we stay put in Waikiki. If it is on yours, a few practical things: check whether your nonstop is one of the suspended Oakland or Portland flights, and look up the specific resort, garden or beach you have in mind before you build a day around it. The Star-Advertiser points readers to openkauai.org for business updates. The same story reports reopenings: 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on Sept. 28, Limahuli Garden & Preserve and Haena Beach Park more recently. Going is also one way to help the small businesses the board heard about, which one member described as “literally on life support.”
Before you plan around this
- As of the Star-Advertiser’s October 18 story, the governor had not acted. The campaign could still change, shrink or not happen.
- The booking percentages come from a board member and the paper, with no period or comparison given. Treat them as a direction, not a measurement.
- The flight suspensions are reported by the Star-Advertiser. Confirm your own flight with the airline.
- HTA posts storm and weather alerts at hta.hawaii.gov, but a declaration itself would show up in the governor’s newsroom or HTA’s announcements. That is where we’d look for an official update.
We checked all of this on October 19, 2026. If you are already booked for Waikiki this fall, our honest advice is the dull one: keep the trip. If you were planning on Kauai, check the specifics, and if you go, buy lunch from someone local. Next time we’re there, we’ll be in Waikiki, eating early.
For what the advisories said about Oahu before Lowell arrived, see our Hurricane Lowell notes from that weekend, and for a fall booking generally, what we’d check before a hurricane-season trip.
This is our owner experience as of October 2026, not financial or legal advice; verify current point charts in the Hilton Grand Vacations member portal and the declaration’s status with the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
