Parks Dept Proposes Beach Entrance Fee
Proposed Park Entrance Fee: Parks Director has just proposed that the County start charging an entrance fee for Kanaha Beach Park. the Fee, proposed at the “Cost of Govt Commission, meeting 12/8/2016”. This proposed new parking entrance fee for Maui County parks is under review and consideration, and not yet implemented. The Fee is intended to be primarily targeting Tourists and Businesses. This is sad because Maui is increasingly unfriendly towards tourism. Although Tourism is Maui’s Primary Economic Engine. And Maui also has the distinction as being the worst place for small business in the state and across the country.
Targeting Tourists: A Beach Entrance Fee aimed at Tourists sends the wrong message to our visitors that our local economy depends so much on them. We should be welcoming tourists with open arms and aloha, and making it easier for them to come here and spend vacation dollars and support our local businesses, and economy.
Tourists feed the Economy: Tourists eat in restaurants , stay in hotels, rent cars, do local activities, buy souvenirs, and promote our island through word of mouth. Charging tourist aimed fees gives visitors a negative feeling, and leaves them with a bad impression of the islands. The beach is one of the last free public assets, and should not be commercialized and monetized simply to pay for the additional government costs of enforcing the fees.