Hawaii to remove visa requirement for Hong Kong tourists

Pending legislation will make it easier to visit Hawaii.

A bipartisan bill in Hawaii’s legislature unveiled last week will fix a technical problem preventing Hong Kong from joining the Visa Waiver Program.

Under existing law, only “countries” are eligible for the program. Hong Kong is not a sovereign country but is a self-governing region of China. A special provision, therefore, needs to be added to the law to make Hong Kong eligible.

Instead of having to go through the process of getting a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, participants in the Visa Waiver Program can get a travel authorization online instantly and visit multiple times for stays of up to 90 days.

“This bipartisan legislation is one example of how just a small legislative change can have a big impact on Hawaii’s economy,” said U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

“Right now, people in Hong Kong can visit more than 140 countries and territories without visas, but these potential Hawai‘i tourists must still endure a time-consuming visa approval process in order to come to the United States.”

According to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Hong Kong visitors spent on average US$230 for each day they stayed in Hawaii, almost 20% more than the average visitor. Visitors from Hong Kong also tend to stay in Hawaii longer than the average visitor.

In 2012, only 4,000 visitors from Hong Kong visited Hawaii and the absence of direct flights was a further deterrent. Hirono’s bill aims to increase that number.