Kaua‘i

Kaua‘i Destination Management Action Plan

The foundation of the Kaua‘i Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) is based on HTA’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and the Kaua‘i Tourism Strategic Plan 2018-2021.  A 21-member steering committee representing members of the community, visitor industry, and other sectors came up with action items for the DMAP. It is an action plan that will be used for the recover and rebuilding of tourism. HTA and county officials reviewed the committee’s action items to determine if they are executable and within HTA and county’s mandates. The draft DMAP was approved by the HTA Board of Directors in December 2020. Click here or the cover image below to view the plan.

About Kaua‘i

 Kaua‘i is the oldest and northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain, and is draped in emerald valleys, sharp mountain spires and jagged cliffs. In 2019, Kaua‘i  had a population of around 72,290, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Kaua‘i County is heavily dependent on tourism. According to the Kaua‘i Tourism Strategic Plan, Kauai’s visitor industry supports one-third of the island’s economy and 38% of jobs. In 2019, 1.3 million visitors spent a total of $1.9 billion on Kaua‘i. There were approximately 27,695 visitors on any given day. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has significantly impacted the visitor industry. As of August 2020, Kaua‘i is down -69.7% in visitor arrivals and down 64.9% in air seats when compared to the same time a year ago. Kaua‘i County lost 8,200 jobs in the second quarter of 2020 alone, with accommodations jobs accounting for 70% of jobs lost, and food and beverage jobs accounting for 41.5%.