Hawaii Legislature firms up hotel room tax
Hawaii Legislature makes permanent 9.25 percent tax on transient accommodations
HONOLULU (AP) -- The Hawaii House and Senate have agreed to make permanent a 9.25 percent tax on hotel rooms and other transient accommodations.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie was among those pushing for the proposal that passed both chambers on Tuesday.
There were several proposals to change the rate, either reverting it to lower levels of previous years or increasing it to raise more revenue for the state.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority, the main agency that promotes the state to visitors, praised the passage of the bill.
The authority says the bill strikes a delicate balance between competing with other destinations and asking visitors to spend discretionary income.
The bill also directs funds toward a museum for Hawaiian music and dance at the convention center in Honolulu.
