HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY WITH COOPERATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE HAWAII VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU TO IMPROVE MARKETING AND VISITOR INFORMATION STRATEGIES TO ATTRACT DISABLED TRAVELERS TO HAWAII.

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that an estimated 1,200,000,000 people worldwide have disabilities, including 51,200,000 United States citizens, of which 32,500,000 have severe disabilities and 18,700,000 have non-severe disabilities; and

WHEREAS, of the disabled United States citizens who are 21 to 64 years of age, approximately 43 percent with severe disabilities and 82 percent with non-severe disabilities are employed; and

WHEREAS, of the 69,600,000 families in the United States, 20,300,000 have at least one member with a disability; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's tourism industry and economy will be strengthened by an increase of disabled visitors who travel to Hawaii and are accompanied by their families, friends, and escorts; and

WHEREAS, people with disabilities have more than $220,000,000,000 in discretionary spending power and these individuals spend on average $13,600,000,000 on travel which does not include expenditures by their accompanying families, friends, and escorts; and