Big Island Airbnb Operators Call for Economic Impact Study

As the Hawai’i County Council debates new regulations governing short-term rentals, it is requesting a study on how the industry impacts local residents and businesses.

1 minute read

July 29, 2024, 9:08 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Aerial view of Kona, Hawaii.

Kona, Hawai'i. | IslandPropertySeller / Adobe Stock

The Hawai’i County Council is likely to move ahead with proposed short-term rental regulations while calling for an expanded study into the rules’ impact on the STR industry and operators on Big Island. “The study is meant to provide a clear and full picture of the island’s short-term rental industry.”

As Nathan Christophel reports in Big Island Now, “The council does want to know more about the ins and outs of short-term rentals, also called transient accommodation rentals, and on Wednesday adopted Resolution 556, tasking the Hawai‘i County Department of Research and Development to assess and analyze — with the help of a contracted economist — the industry’s fiscal effects.”

According to a June report, STRs accounted for lodging for 44 percent of Big Island visitors and contributed around $1.3 billion to the local economy. Meanwhile, “The Hawai‘i Housing Factbook published in June 2023 by the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization showed that 7.8% of the county’s 88,259 total housing units, or 6,847, were being used as short-term rentals.”

Local residents who operate STRs say the industry brings in income to all kinds of local businesses, from the people who clean the lodgings to local restaurants and boutiques.

Saturday, July 27, 2024 in Big Island Now

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA