#Department of Business

Maui County continued to have the largest vacation rental supply in the state in September — 263,900 available unit nights, compared with 230,500 on Oʻahu, 214,600 on Hawaiʻi Island and 136,600 on Kauaʻi, according to a monthly vacation rental performance report by the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

A mix of first-time and returning Maui businesses showcased their products at the 2024 Tokyo International Gift Show, held Sept. 4-6 at the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center in Japan.

Construction activity, including the rebuilding of wildfire devastated Lahaina town, will overcome relative weakness in tourism and help build a stable economic recovery, at a rate of 1.3%, for Hawaiʻi statewide, according to a forecast by economists with the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

With the largest supply of vacation rentals in the state, Maui County’s unit demand and occupancy rates are down in double-digits since last year and 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, according to a report for June by the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

Technical skill rotations were hosted throughout the day exploring topics such as fashion design process, 3D modeling, video pre-production and much more, along with networking sessions and informative panels from professionals in the creative industries. Attendees were provided with an overview of CID’s workforce initiatives, ways to maximize the ClimbHI Bridge portal, and insights into preparing students for successful careers within the creative industries.

Data from Maui County shows that there were more vacation rental unit nights available in February 2024 compared to both February 2023 and February 2019 (before the pandemic). Despite an increase in available units, the percentage of those units being occupied in February 2024 was still lower than in both February 2023 and February 2019.

While a decrease was recorded in month-over-month data, Maui County vacation rental supply realized gains this January compared to January 2023.

The latest Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey by the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism shows high satisfaction among Hawai‘i’s visitors, with over 95% rating their experience as “excellent” or “above average.” Additionally, a special section on the impact of Maui wildfires indicates a slight decrease in satisfaction for those who visited after the Aug. 8 wildfires.

The State of Hawaiʻi revised its 2023 growth projections upward to 1.9%, but lowered its 2024 projections to 1.3% due to the projected global slowdown and recovery from the Maui wildfires.

The 2024 Creative Lab Hawai‘i Music Immersive program will open the application process on Nov. 1 for singer-songwriters who are seeking opportunities to license their works for global media and entertainment content.

Honolulu County remains the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.8%, with the Big Island at 4.1% and Kaua’i at 4.4%.

Data from the Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism showed Maui County’s unemployment rate for August 2022 was 3.9%, down from 4.2% the previous month and 6.7% a year ago.

Maui County’s unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, was 4.2% for July 2022, which was down .6% from the previous month and nearly a 3% decrease from a year ago, according to data release by the State of Hawaiʻi.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s has announced the officers for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board for Fiscal Year 2022/23. 

The 260,618 visitors to Maui in June 2021 contributed $503 million to the local economy, which is 5.4% more than the $477 million spent by the 295,926 tourists who came to the island pre-pandemic in June 2019.

As Hawai‘i continues its economic recovery coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders from the public and private sector are suggesting building a more robust digital economy as a key component of business within the state.

The state department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) released a report on Thursday that analyzes the impact that international students have on Hawaii’s economy.  DBEDT’s Research and Economic Analysis Division (READ) prepared the report, while the Business Development & Support Division (BDSD) led the state’s efforts for international student exchange. The report, or […]

The DBEDT announced the launch of a program designed to help local small businesses increase their exports.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has issued a Request for Proposal for structuring services to create a broadband infrastructure public-private partnership in Hawai‘i.

The “Economic Outlook” section of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s first “Quarterly Statistical and Economic Report” of 2016 states that Hawai‘i’s economic growth rates remain unchanged from its previous forecast.