What Hawaii’s Safe Travels Program did right

Hawaii’s lush rainforests and stunning beaches have long drawn travelers to the island state. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, more than 10 million visitors traveled to Hawaii in 2019, a 5.4% increase from the 9,888,845 visitors who went there in 2018. That’s a lot of visitors for an island state with a population of about 1.4 million people.
 
But the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 halted travel to the islands in March 202o, as the state implemented a strict 14-day quarantine for all incoming flight passengers. A limited number of ICU beds and ventilators, coupled with the fear of a potentially overwhelmed health care system if there was an outbreak, were enough to cause the state to close its doors to travelers for months last year.

The lockdown meant that there was protection from COVID-19 for Hawaii’s residents, but an incredible loss of jobs in the tourism industry. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March 2020 was 2.1%; in April and May 2020, it was 21.9%, according to Hawaii’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

On Oct. 15, 2020, the Hawaii government began welcoming travelers again through the Safe Travels Hawaii program, which requires all travelers to Hawaii to do a mandatory 10-day quarantine upon arrival to the islands. Alternatively, travelers can present a negative COVID-19 pre-travel test, taken 72 hours before departure to Hawaii to avoid the 10-day quarantine.
 
While some may criticize the strict measures being taken, the Safe Travels Hawaii program has done its fair share of good for Hawaii while bringing tourists back. As of April 8, 2021, Hawaii has seen a total of 2,342,281 travelers since the Safe Travels Hawaii program began in October 2020. Almost 75% of those travelers were visitors, and because of the program’s safety measures, there have been few travel-related COVID-19 cases in the state.

“That 72-hour testing window is tight,” says Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green. “And because of that tight window, we’ve been able to keep our case number really low and have really not had travel-related COVID-19 cases of significance.” Green also cites a recent Lancet study that found that PCR tests taken within 72 hours of traveling, like the Safe Travels Hawaii pre-test, reduce the number of infectious travelers by 88%.

State officials at Honolulu International Airport check to be sure all arriving visitors and residents alike have answered a health questionnaire, had their temperatures taken and shown proof of a negative COVID test.

State officials at Honolulu International Airport check to be sure all arriving visitors and residents alike have answered a health questionnaire, had their temperatures taken and shown proof of a negative COVID test.

Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

The program also helped restore jobs that were lost during the pandemic and aid in the state’s economic recovery. “For every 50 people that travel to Hawaii, one full-time job is restored for a year,” says Green.

Currently, more than 46,000 jobs have been restored in Hawaii, helping decrease food and housing insecurities. “It really gave us a lot of hope for the future,” Green says. The state’s unemployment rate in March 2021 was 9%, higher than what it was historically, but much less than its peak at 21.9 in the first two months of the pandemic lockdown. 
 
Hawaii has the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate in the United States, due in part to the precautions of the Safe Travels Hawaii program. Critically, the state has been able to demonstrate that safe travel during a pandemic is possible. “For me, it wasn’t just about slashing the number of cases by having the pre-test,” says Green.


“It was also about forcing people into a very thorough process where they knew they’d have to get a test, they’d have to be asymptomatic, and they would need to plan for travel by going through this process. That makes a really big difference,” Green says.

And so far, more than 2.3 million travelers have been committed to the process and traveled safely throughout Hawaii.

Many in Hawaii are still leery over the return of tourism, especially with badly behaving tourists regularly making headlines in their efforts to dodge Hawaii’s restrictions. But for some small-business owners, especially those whose businesses have been decimated by the lockdown, the reopening has been welcome. 
 
As the world continues vaccination and reopening efforts, Hawaii plans to continue the program through 2021. Green notes that the state will likely reach herd immunity around July 4, making it easier for the islands to open widely, as residents will not have to worry about outbreaks.

But given the concern for virus variance and spread in certain parts of the world, “it’s likely we will stay very vigilant, especially regarding international travel for all of 2021,” he says.
 
Green also adds that the state is working on a safe travels card, which would allow vaccinated people to travel freely through Hawaii. With the safe travels card, travelers would upload their vaccine card, which would be “their ticket to come in safely.” The Safe Travels Hawaii program would also remain in place as an option for travelers, for those that choose to quarantine or do not have the vaccine.

Amanda Ogle is a freelance writer and editor covering travel, sustainability, food and drink, health and wellness, and general lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, Texas Highways, OZY, Virtuoso Traveler, American Way and more. You can find all of her work at amandaogle.com.