Aloha Bruce is joined by his wife Yaling Fisher for a Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast COVID-19 global pandemic update. There remain many questions about travel to Hawaii during this time, and our hosts discuss some of the concerns residents and visitors alike have. Bruce pushed back against the idea that Hawaii residents want tourists to stay away.

Bruce notes that, as he predicted, Hawaii’s travel ban has been extended to June 30. Yaling shares interesting numbers of visitor arrivals during the mandatory quarantine who have indicated that they plan to stay with “family and friends” for the 14-day quarantine. Our hosts point out that visitors have been violating quarantine and a large number of residents are catching them out. “You’ll be famous!” says Yaling.

Our hosts advocate for “Sharing Aloha”. Bruce discusses confusing remarks by Lt. Governor Josh Green about the reopening of Hawaii tourism. Bruce suggests that there is a “50-50 chance” that the travel ban will be lifted July 1. Stay tuned!

Visitors should make their reservations for Hawaii vacations with travel protections in the event that restrictions are extended. Bruce notes some great deals available for December travel and beyond. Hawaii Aloha Travel is the ideal company to work with for planning a Hawaii vacation because we are “on the ground” and have extensive contacts throughout the Aloha State.

The conversation moves on to outstanding deals HAT has found for October travel and beyond and great airfare deals are noted as letting visitors book more high-end accommodations. Bruce also offers a hot insider tip on huge savings on a Hawaii vacation.

Aloha Bruce is back in the studio with Lanai Tabura for the newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast (with a full canoe paddle between them for obvious Hawaii COVID-19 social distancing reasons). Bruce and Lanai get right to the question of what “aloha” and Aloha Spirit mean to Hawaii visitors during a pandemic.

Lanai likens the attitude of Hawaii residents toward the visitors to how we look to our grandmothers for wisdom and truth. What would Grandma do?

Our hosts agree that the Aloha Spirit is alive and well, even though visitor arrivals have stopped. Lanai shares stories of longtime employees at historic destinations like the Royal Hawaiian Hotel who have known to visit families for generations. Aloha endures.

Bruce and Lanai also talk about the pandemic tourists arrested for breaking their commitment to Hawaii’s legal quarantine and broadcasting it on social media. The “Travel with Aloha” slogan floated by the state is noted as Bruce talks about a possible voluntary testing protocol for incoming visitors to avoid quarantine.

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The conversation moves to vacation rentals and Lanai says, “Everyone wants to reopen.”

Our podcast hosts answer listener questions about traveling to Hawaii, give proper shout-outs to the Show Aloha Challenge participants, and offer straight talk and local knowledge about what it is happening on the ground in Hawaii tourism.

Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher are back in the studio for our latest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. For this episode, our hosts talk about the latest developments in the reopening of Hawaii’s tourism industry during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

As Hawaii’s economy begins to slowly reopen, Bruce notes that the question Hawaii Aloha Travel gets most frequently is “When is Hawaii going to open up to tourism?” It is still unknown when the mandatory 14-day quarantine of Hawaii air arrivals will be lifted.

Bruce talks about the brand new “Travel With Aloha” proposal discussed at a press conference that would ask visitors to be voluntarily tested for coronavirus to avoid the mandatory quarantine. Bruce also notes that Lt. Governor Josh Green acknowledged possible tensions between residents and visitors who come during this pandemic.

Out hosts touch on visitor concerns and offer their insights on flight cancellations and the number of visitors still arriving during the quarantine. Bruce offers his honest opinion about what visitors might expect about Hawaii reopening and gives a personal take on a canceled national conference in Hawaii that he helped organize before the travel ban.

The second half of this newest podcast has Bruce and Yaling personally answer listener and email questions they’ve been receiving about tourism in Hawaii during the pandemic. We here at Hawaii Aloha Travel are here to help!

The Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast is posting comments about the Hawaii Tourism Ban made by Hawaii Governor David Ige at his Wednesday, May 6 news conference, specifically regarding the lifting of the mandatory 14-day quarantine required of all Hawaii air passenger arrivals. The current restrictions are scheduled to be in place until May 31.

Aloha Bruce and the Hawaii Aloha Travel ohana continue to encourage visitors to plan travel to Hawaii after the month of June and to rebook if you have a trip scheduled in June. We can help you do that. We want to help you do that. Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher with Lanai Tabura have talked about this in-depth on our recent podcasts.

There is a great deal of confusion about the Hawaii Tourism Ban, travel and quarantine requirements as Hawaii moves toward reopening its economy. Tourism remains vital to Hawaii’s economy, and Governor Ige told the media that the “conversation is ongoing” among government officials, the airlines and hotel industry leaders. He stressed the need to improve Hawaii’s enforcement of its current rules.

He also mentioned Hawaii visitors ignoring quarantine requirements and the Hawaii Tourism Ban, saying “These are not visitors that we would want.” He stressed that Hawaii remains among the safest travel destinations in the world. In fact, that is a big part of Hawaii’s brand.

As new data comes in, it is possible that the quarantine requirements are left in place after May 31 or reinstated if a spike in coronavirus cases occurs. This is why we here at Hawaii Aloha Travel recommend booking (or rebooking) Hawaii vacations until after June.

A lack of consistent messaging from federal, state, and local governments and failures of communication make it impossible to say accurately when the mandatory quarantine will be lifted, even as other parts of Hawaii’s economy are opening slowly and in stages.

Until the mandatory 14-day quarantine is lifted for Hawaii air arrivals, Hawaii tourism will remain effectively shut down regardless of what hotel or restaurant or retail outlet is open.

Stay with us here at the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and Hawaii Aloha Travel for the latest coronavirus developments affecting Hawaii Tourism Ban and tourists themselves in the Aloha State.

In addition to our podcast, Hawaii Aloha Travel does regular vacation planning sessions on its Facebook page. These sessions are designed to help folks plan vacations to the islands and answer questions about traveling to Hawaii. The feeds happen at random times so it’s hard to catch them live but you can be notified when […]

Aloha Bruce is delighted to welcome co-host Lanai Tabura back into the recording studio (at a safe 6-foot distance, of course!) to talk about the Next steps for reopening Hawaii for the newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. Our hosts riff on the term “social distancing” and discuss what it means for Hawaii as the Aloha State contemplates reopening its economy during the global coronavirus pandemic.

Lanai recommends that Hawaii vacationers book for October and beyond as Hawaii is considering reopening slowly. Bruce and Lanai make the important point that the situation “on the ground” in Hawaii is fluid and changing quickly.

Lanai says that even if Hawaii’s restrictions and quarantine requirements are lifted on May 31 as currently planned, most businesses won’t be fully open to pre-pandemic levels for at least another month. He also mentions that flights will be booked according to social distancing concerns. Both hosts say that now is a good time to book Hawaii travel months ahead.

Bruce notes the cancellation of direct flights to Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island from the mainland and how that may affect the cost of interisland travel. Lanai says masks will be mandatory for air travel. He also notes that he has planned travel to Italy in August but he is still unsure of how the trip will pan out and draws a parallel for travelers to Hawaii.

Bruce explains how Hawaii Aloha Travel protection works and why it is a good idea to take out travel insurance. He also explains that new developments may change how travel plans are made. He mentions a listener who is encouraged by the podcast’s outlook for reopening Hawaii. Lanai says that Hawaii has “flattened the curve” and that things are likely to be opening more fully in June. He also notes that most Hawaii residents do not want visitors right now as we work to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Bruce and Lanai also discuss the booking and seating policies of Hawaii-bound airlines. Another listener has plans for a honeymoon Hawaii vacation in mid-June, coming from Montana, where the coronavirus rate is lower than even Hawaii’s. Lanai mentions Kauai’s mayor locking the Garden Isle down before any of Hawaii’s other mayors shut down their counties.

The conversation moves to how tourism will be affected in the aftermath of the pandemic. Lanai compares the pandemic to 9/11 and says that it took Hawaii a year and a half to return to pre-attack levels of Hawaii arrivals. He believes that Hawaii will bounce back quicker than that, but it will still happen slowly.

Lanai also discusses the major efforts made by airlines to sanitize aircraft beyond pre-pandemic policies. He says that people are going to be much more mindful of cleanliness. He predicts that more and more people will move away from using cash, and our hosts talk about how luaus, restaurants, and buffets are likely to be impacted in the wake of the pandemic.

“Book your tours!” says Lanai. “But just not for right now. Maybe more towards the end of the year.”

On the newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast, Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher share the latest developments and insight into the effect of coronavirus restrictions and quarantine requirements on Hawaii Tourism.

Bruce makes the point that Hawaii’s statistics on confirmed cases of coronavirus and other telling metrics are far lower than mainland states. Bruce also mentions the hopeful story of a young Honolulu bartender who has begun the road to recovery after falling gravely ill with COVID-19.

Yaling offers numbers on how many visitors are arriving in Hawaii in spite of travel restrictions and Hawaii Tourism quarantine rules. Our hosts note that some visitors have been exploiting loopholes in the new rules and that the Honolulu City & County was moved to action after a visit to Daniel K. Inouye Airport (HNL) that spotlighted shortcomings in the screening of Hawaii arrivals.

Bruce says that Hawaii Aloha Travel is receiving many calls from visitors who want to know when hotels will be reopened. He says hotels will begin using “hygiene managers” to monitor guests subject to travel restrictions.

Our hosts move the discussion to steps that can be taken to make travelers safer. Bruce and Yaling talk about air carriers suspending service to and from a large number of mainland airports. Bruce wonders who will be brought in to monitor the many aspects of the Hawaii Tourism travel industry that are affected by the coronavirus global pandemic.

Bruce and Yaling talk about pending Hawaii Aloha Travel bookings in the coming months, and how they are managing changes in travel bookings. They agree that those things are changing quickly, but they expect bookings for June and beyond to continue.

Bruce shares his feelings about the unprecedented nature of the disruption the coronavirus has caused in Hawaii. He and Yaling assure podcast listeners that Hawaii Aloha Travel’s travel insurance provides peace of mind if your vacation plans have to be adjusted. Of course, special considerations can be offered to front-line workers in the stand against the global pandemic.

Co-host Lanai Tabura will be back with the podcast soon, our hosts assure. He’s quite busy helping feed thousands with the Show Aloha Challenge and other projects serving Hawaii’s vulnerable communities.

The newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast has Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher discussing the possibility of reopening Hawaii’s tourism economy during the coronavirus global pandemic. Bruce notes that a whole month has passed since the shutdown began on March 26 and that a brief but necessary visit from a friend recently provided a “semblance of normalcy”.

Our hosts note that Governor Ige has extended stay-at-home/work from home orders through May 31. Bruce helps explain what the mandatory 14-day quarantine means for Hawaii arrivals while the order is in place. Bruce compares it to “vacation jail” and marvels at the fact that people are still coming to Hawaii for a vacation even with the quarantine in effect.

Bruce also notes that efforts to monitor arrivals to Hawaii have been stepped up. Bruce says that a customer, Emily, is scheduled to arrive on May 30 and that she will indeed be required to undergo the 14-day quarantine.

Bruce and Yaling make the positive point that many Hawaii beaches have been partially reopened to the public with certain rules in place. He also says that Kauai, which has strong restrictions in place, has begun discussing easing those some restrictions. Kauai’s low case numbers of coronavirus are due in part to those tougher restrictions.

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The conversation moves to some of the major savings on Hawaii airfares that are now available, and Bruce offers his expertise on how to best take advantage of low fares. Our hosts agree that booking far out in advance is the best approach. Bruce also reminds listeners that the insurance Hawaii Aloha Travel offers help provide visitors with options if and when the current situation changes.

He talks about some of the cheap flights available beginning in mid-July. He mentions several routes from New York City and Chicago that are priced extremely low by different air carriers. Our hosts marvel at an available $300 round trip fare from Los Angeles.

Aloha Bruce and Yaling remain optimistic that regular Hawaii flights can resume in June. Bruce says Hawaii will reopen slowly, and it is encouraging to see signs that it may begin happening soon. Bruce and Yaling encourage listeners to email feedback on the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcasts

Aloha Bruce is again joined remotely by co-host Lanai Tabura for the newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. For this episode, our hosts discuss Hawaii Tourism Realities and Hawaii’s readiness for a post-COVID world. As Hawaii remains in a virtual shutdown with mandatory quarantines for arrivals, closed hotels and resorts, and shuttered businesses from Hilo to Hanalei, industry experts are looking at the impacts to come for tourism in Hawaii.

Bruce notes that the State Department of Health Director is optimistic about coronavirus containment in Hawaii, and that Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell will partially reopen City parks beginning this weekend. Lanai says that Hawaii residents are following the rules for social distancing and that perhaps waiting another month might be the best way to reopen Hawaii.

Bruce notes that international flights are set to resume at the end of April and wonders: “Where are we going to put these people?” Our hosts discuss different takes on reopening Hawaii tourism and Lanai says frankly, “I wouldn’t come until July.” It’s his opinion that some Hawaii residents may regard visitors who come to Hawaii before the state is prepared following the pandemic as selfish.

Lanai also says that he wants Hawaii Tourism to reopen as much as anyone and notes his own situation with the shutdown. He says that he would advise visitors to wait one month after Hawaii opens back up to come to the Aloha State.

We podcast about Hawaii because we love Hawaii.

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We blog about Hawaiibecause we love Hawaii.

Get Help Planning Your Trip

Our hosts talk about efforts that Hawaii tourism industry officials could take to prepare for the new reality Hawaii residents and visitors face. Lanai discusses plans in New York City to reopen slowly and agrees with the strategy.

Bruce talks about the lack of plans in place in Hawaii and our hosts agree that the situation is unprecedented. Lanai also notes the lack of coronavirus testing, but both hosts agree that “we’re doing pretty good here”. Bruce asks Lanai about getting sick while traveling (Lanai is fine!), because Lanai travels all over the world.

The conversation moves to Lanai’s home island of Lanai, which has yet to report a single case of coronavirus. They talk about choosing an island for your Hawaii vacation, and Lanai says “you don’t want to get the locals pissed” by coming to Hawaii too soon. Both of our hosts agree that simply “pulling the plug” on tourism in Hawaii is not going to happen.

Lanai also talks about the success of the Show Aloha Challenge program that is helping to feed thousands of Hawaii seniors (or “kupuna”) while supporting Hawaii restaurants hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdown. The organization has reached nearly $600,000 in donations. Lanai says that with the help of Meals on Wheels they are serving nearly 1000 meals per day. He also notes a Show Aloha event on Sunday that will see Show Aloha distribute 1000 meals from a variety of local restaurants and businesses he names. Lanai encourages listeners to go www.showalohachallenge.com to learn more about their efforts.

Aloha Bruce and Yaling return to the studio for a special extended COVID-19 Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast to talk about when will Hawaii open up again to Tourism. Our hosts talk about their hopes for the Aloha State to reopen, perhaps in June, and their decades of professional insight into Hawaii travel and the massive impact of the global pandemic on Hawaii’s travel industry.

They are joined later by longtime friend and beloved Hawaii broadcaster Angela Keen. Angela returns to the podcast to talk about her work with an important community organization on battling coronavirus in Hawaii

Both Bruce and Yaling are optimistic about a reopening by September for sure. They do note breaking news in USA Today about Hawaiian Air and Alaska Air receiving approval to suspend Hawaii-bound flights from a number of mainland airports.

In addition to dramatic flight reductions, Bruce and Yaling move on to note the near-total shutdown of hotel operations in Hawaii. They break down the planned reopening of some of Hawaii’s most popular resorts and hotel chains. Each chain and its properties have different dates selected, some early in May and others not until June.

Our hosts discuss what visitors to Hawaii can expect to face if they arrive while Hawaii’s travel restrictions (which are prohibitive) are in place. With his trademark candor, Aloha Bruce says, “If you come here right now, you’re in trouble. I mean, you’re in big trouble!” He talks about another recent arrest of a homeless person from the mainland you gave a P.O. box as her residence and was sent back to the mainland just a few days later.

Bruce wonders out loud about enforcement of travel restrictions in Hawaii and when will Hawaii open up again to Tourism, he and Yaling mention a new mandatory mask-in-public rule set to go into effect. Bruce also notes that he is still getting calls from clients who want to book Hawaii vacations for May. He doesn’t advise it and says September and beyond look best for fares as well.

Bruce also offers some thoughts on recent arrival numbers, pointing out that 43 transient arrivals and 109 visitors came into Hawaii on Friday. It prompts Bruce and Yaling to talk about the 14-day quarantine visitors face in Hawaii. Bruce also notes another news article citing Hawaii vacation rental shutdowns.

Aloha Bruce and Yaling give personal shoutouts to a handful of podcast listeners, one of whom thanks Lanai Tabura and his work with Show Aloha, which helps feed Hawaii’s vulnerable seniors. A listener who works in coronavirus research offers words of encouragement for the days ahead.

Bruce and Yaling welcome Angela Keen to the podcast to discuss her work on many projects in past weeks, all while battling non-COVID pneumonia. Pneumonia! Angela talks candidly about her experience and the particular vulnerabilities that Hawaii communities face regarding the deadly coronavirus.

Angela shares with Aloha Bruce and Yaling her thoughts about a person who arrived from the mainland recently and who flouted travel and quarantine restrictions, while posting regularly on social media. Angela notes that authorities were notified, including federal officials, and that person was soon located and arrested by federal officials.

Angela talks about the possible $5000 fine visitors face and the fact that some choose to ignore the legal and public health consequences. Her work with the organization Mai Hele Mai. She says it translates roughly to “please don’t come during quarantine!”

Angela says that right now, Waikiki is empty, “no fun”. Practically none of Hawaii’s attractions are available to visitors, and Angela says, “We want you to come when we’re healthy!”

Bruce and Angela agree that now is the time for everyone to practice aloha, because of the challenges we face in Hawaii due to COVID-19.