#DBEDT

A dozen Hawaiʻi-based food makers are getting a boost as they look to expand their locally sourced products to shelves in major retailers. A $25,000 grant from the Ulupono Fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation is lowering barriers for these entrepreneurs to use the state’s first high pressure processing system.

The event will bring together Hawaiʻi farmers, value-added producers, food manufacturers, entrepreneurs, supply chain partners and resource providers for a full-day program focused on turning local food ideas into market-ready products.

Hawaiʻi  welcomed slightly fewer visitors in April 2026 than it did a year earlier, but those who came spent more—pushing total visitor spending to $1.77 billion for the month, a 4.8% increase over April 2025, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The 2026 Hawaiʻi–Japan Sister Summit concluded yesterday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort, bringing together more than 350 participants – including nearly 30 governors, vice governors and mayors – from Hawaiʻi and Japan – for dialogue, cultural exchange and policy collaboration. 

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has launched its search for the leader who will guide the state’s tourism industry into a new era. The organization is now seeking applications for the position of president and chief executive officer of HTA. The application deadline is Friday, June 26, 2026.

A tradeshow featuring products from Hawai‘i and Ilocos Norte will run concurrently. The event will close with an evening banquet featuring remarks from Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green, followed by a reaffirmation ceremony marking 22 years of sister-state relations between Hawai‘i and Ilocos Norte.

This full-day summit will bring together more than 200 practitioners — including developers, investors, state and county agencies, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations — for a deep dive into the newly updated Opportunity Zones (OZ) 2.0 program.

Japanese visitors have been drawn more to Waikīkī than to Maui’s resorts, and a new state report calls for changing that by rebuilding and diversifying Japanese visitor demand.

The project will address critical safety concerns by bringing the dam and spillway into compliance with all relevant safety requirements. Rehabilitation work includes improvements to the dam embankment and modifications to the spillway to increase discharge capacity.

March visitor statistics released Thursday by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism showed statewide visitor arrivals declined 1.7% in March 2026 compared to March 2025, while visitor spending declined 1.6% to $1.96 billion.

Hawai‘i State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson will be retiring from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism effective April 30, 2026, concluding 25 years of service managing the Hawai‘i Film Office and the state’s film program.

Maui County’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 2.9% in February 2025 to 2.5% in the same month this year, according to monthly statistics provided by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The Hawaiʻi House of Representatives advanced numerous bills relating to Native Hawaiian affairs that support housing, cultural preservation, and community support.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) Small Business Regulatory Review Board will conduct its next monthly meeting on Maui on Thursday, March 19, 2026. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. at the Kalana O Maui Building, 200 S. High St., Ninth Floor, in Wailuku. It will also be available on Zoom. This […]

The House Committee on Tourism has passed several key measures ahead of the First Decking deadline on Friday, March 6, 2026, advancing policies focused on responsible tourism, climate resilience, public safety, and economic diversification.

Tourism on Maui continued to recover from the August 2023 wildfires, according to the latest Hotel Performance Report issued by the State Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism.

On Maui, the unemployment rate was 2.4% in December, down from the 2.5% rate the previous month and the 3.5% rate reported at the same time last year.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism will debut the Hawai‘i Pavilion at the 2026 Winter FancyFaire taking place Jan. 11–13 at the San Diego Convention Center in California.

Hawaiʻi’s statewide unemployment rate remained lower than the national average in November 2025.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has released its 2025 Quarterly Statistical and Economic Report, raising its economic growth projections to 1.6 percent for 2025 and 1.5 percent for 2026.