LIHU‘E — Hawai‘i Tourism Authority President and CEO John De Fries will leave his post this summer after a three-year period highlighted by a dramatic rebound in tourism and visitor spending counts.
De Fries made the announcement during a Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board of Directors special meeting in Honolulu on June 15. The announcement came about two weeks after the board offered De Fries a three-year contract extension.
But De Fries told the board at the special meeting that he would not be accepting the extension.
“It has been an honor to serve the communities and people of our islands these past three years, and I will support the board and staff during this transition in leadership of the HTA,” said De Fries in a statement.
“I am incredibly proud of our passionate, unwavering team of professionals at HTA and all that is being accomplished in our communities to improve the well-being of Hawai‘i,” he said.
He went on to thank the board for its support, as well as Gov. Josh Green, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and the Hawai‘i Legislature.
De Fries took charge of the tourism authority in September 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s self-quarantine requirement for travelers. The confluence of factors weighed heavily on the state’s economy, as visitor arrivals plunged 97.4 percent in September 2020 when compared with September 2019.
He also oversaw a structural shift away from the tourism authority’s focus on marketing to that of a more effective destination management organization.
HTA Board Chair George Kam lauded De Fries for his efforts during an unprecedented period for the tourism industry.
“John has done an admirable job fulfilling his three-year contract during the most challenging period in recent Hawai‘i history,” said Kam in a statement. “At a time when we needed a strong, visionary leader to calmly guide us out of troubling circumstances, John was there for HTA.”
But De Fries also faced stiff political headwinds, particularly during the most recent legislative session when efforts were made to slash funding and eliminate the tourism authority. The end result was the Hawai‘i Legislature allocated zero funding for the tourism authority in the 2024 budget, although the tourism authority managed to stay upright.
Nevertheless, it appears that De Fries will leave his post riding a wave fueled by visitors and their enormous spending power.
Total visitor spending surged 21.7 percent to $7.09 billion in the four months ended April 30, compared with $5.81 billion in the pre-pandemic four months ended April 30, 2019, according to a report from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. That increase came amid a 3.0 percent decrease in the number of visitors in the same period.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
