HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	154
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the hawaii tourism authority to work with airline companies to show ocean safety videos on Hawaii-bound flights.

 

 

     WHEREAS, according to the Department of Health in a February 7, 2013, article in the Honolulu Star Advertiser, two hundred eighty-eight nonresidents and two hundred forty-nine Hawaii residents drowned in the ocean between 2002 and 2011; and

 

     WHEREAS, so far this year, at least a dozen Hawaii visitors have been killed in accidents, including drowning, and on Kauai alone, at least six tourists have drowned; and

 

     WHEREAS, 2013's pace is relatively high for Hawaii, which usually sees approximately sixty to seventy accidental deaths among nonresidents a year; and

 

     WHEREAS, the high number of deaths in the beginning of 2013 follows an increase in visitor fatalities in recent years - something officials say is likely due to several factors, including tourists searching out remote areas to explore or overestimating their swimming abilities in unfamiliar ocean currents; and

 

     WHEREAS, visitors to Hawaii should be encouraged to educate themselves about the State's natural attractions and beautiful beaches to ensure a safe and enjoyable vacation; and

 

     WHEREAS, state and county agencies, as well as the hotel industry, often provide brochures and pamphlets to visitors with tips for traveling safely in the islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, airlines are key players in the Hawaii visitor experience and could also help share the important message of ocean safety with the millions of visitors who arrive in the State each year; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that the Hawaii Tourism Authority is requested to produce an ocean safety video for visitors; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Tourism Authority is requested to work with airline companies to promote the showing of the video onboard to all incoming passengers on flights to Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, who, in turn, is requested to transmit copies to each manager of Hawaii operations for all airlines operating inbound passenger flights to Hawaii.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Hawaii Tourism Authority; Ocean Safety; Airlines