Statement from Bruce and Yaling Fisher Yaling Fisher owners of Hawaii Aloha Travel Hawaii Aloha Travel

A Statement from Hawaii Aloha Travel owners on COVID-19 in Hawaii:

In light of the recent request by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau for travel publications to “refrain from publishing any stories that might encourage people to travel to the islands”, Hawaii Aloha Travel would like to state its full support of State of Hawaii and County efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the Aloha State.

Our personal and professional ohana are actively and faithfully following guidelines put forth by relevant government agencies to stop the spread. We are sharing that information with all our current and potential clients. We are even offering free re-booking services for anyone affected by travel restrictions through May 31. We will extend that service for as long as it remains possible for us to do so.

On our website, our Hawaii-Aloha.Com, our Podcast The Hawaii Vacation Connection, Hawaii Vacation Blog and in our personal communications with clients, we have actively discouraged visitors from booking travel during the COVID-19 global pandemic. We understand that as an international vacation destination and a global air travel hub, Hawaii faces a frighteningly high risk of community spread. Our many loving, close-contact cultural traditions of expressing love and affection through hugs and close personal contact make us even more vulnerable.

The unprecedented measures taken by State and County measures are undoubtedly helping to curb the spread of coronavirus, to “flatten the curve”. Hawaii’s residents have been heroically committed to sticking to established guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Hawaii. We applaud such efforts and the commitment of front-line workers in every sector who are looking after a population of nearly 1.5 million.

There will come a time when the work of recovering from this COVID-19 national disaster will begin in Hawaii. Until then, Hawaii Aloha Travel will continue to discourage travel to Hawaii. This is, of course, exactly the opposite of what Hawaii’s travel industry is designed to do. But these are extraordinary times, and the health and safety of our communities and the visitors that help them thrive remain our only focus.

We have advised countless potential visitors to avoid the temptation to take advantage of drastically reduced airfares for their own safety and for the safety of our residents and their families. We will continue to do so, and we condemn the cynical profiteering by any companies or organizations that the HVCB request seeks to address.

Hawaii’s vulnerability to a global pandemic becomes clearer and more daunting every day. But we at Hawaii Aloha Travel truly believe that the residents and small businesses that are vital to Hawaii’s travel industry will do everything possible to “flatten the curve” and to focus on rebuilding the industry to be more sustainable and sensitive to the needs of our island communities.

With Lokahi and Aloha

Bruce & Yaling Fisher

Hawaii Aloha Travel

Posted by: Bruce Fisher on Apr 12, 2020