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

WHEREAS, for example, a one percent increase in the penetration of the disabled-travel market in the United States will generate more than $100,000,000 in additional tourism revenue for Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, this market is steadily growing as a higher percentage of the population becomes older and requires services to address their physical changes and limitations; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has a well-developed infrastructure for accommodating disabled travelers, including disabled-accessible hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, airports, cruise facilities, and land transportation, along with quality medical facilities and personnel; and

WHEREAS, the websites of the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Department of Health contain disabled-traveler information that should be evaluated and optimized for content, organization, and marketing effectiveness, including the marketing of collateral material and advertising for disabled travelers; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that the Hawaii Tourism Authority, with cooperation from the Department of Health and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, is requested to improve marketing and visitor information, including developing a comprehensive disabled visitor information page on the Department of Health's and Hawaii Tourism Authority's websites, to attract disabled travelers to Hawaii; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Tourism Authority is requested to submit to the Legislature a list of strategies that will attract more disabled travelers to Hawaii no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the month of October be known as "Disabled Travelers Month" in order to expand awareness of this sizeable market and promote tolerance and acceptance of travelers with disabilities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Resolution Sponsors: