HAWAI'I'S SAFE TRAVELS PROGRAM SET TO END ON MARCH 25

HONOLULU, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor David Ige announced today that Hawai'i's Safe Travels program for domestic travelers will come to a close on Friday, March 25, 2022.

Beginning Saturday, March 26, 2022, individuals arriving from the continental United States will not be required to create a Safe Travels account, show their COVID-19 vaccination status, or take a pre-travel test when traveling to the Hawaiian Islands.

"Safe Travels is one part of a multi-layer approach to COVID safety. The program played a key role in keeping Hawaiʻi's residents safe before vaccinations were widely available, and during the surges we've seen through this pandemic," said John De Fries, Hawai'i Tourism Authority President and CEO. "Bringing the Safe Travels program to a close reflects the progress we have made as a state, and Governor Ige's decision is a good balance of maintaining reasonable health precautions while reopening our society and economy."

Passengers arriving to Hawai'i on direct international flights must still adhere to federal U.S. entry requirements, which include showing proof of an up-to-date vaccination document and negative pre-travel COVID-19 test result taken within one day of travel. For more information, visit www.hawaiicovid19.com/travel.

"The Safe Travels program was an immense undertaking that would not have been possible without the collaboration and support of our fellow government agencies and numerous visitor industry partners who worked tirelessly to serve our communities in this effort, from the dissemination of travel requirements globally, to testing and screening, the call center response and check-ins with quarantined individuals, and the airlines which stepped up to pre-clear their passengers at the point of departure," De Fries said. "We would like to especially thank the hundreds of kamaʻāina who worked as Safe Travels screeners, patiently working with travelers to ensure their compliance with our health measures."

Hawai'i's statewide indoor mask mandate remains in place until further notice. On the county level, the County of Kaua'i, County of Maui, and County of Hawai'i have repealed their COVID-19 Emergency Rules. The City and County of Honolulu's Safe Access O'ahu program will end on Sunday, March 6, 2022.

De Fries added, "The recovery of Hawai'i's travel market and economy will be a gradual process, and HTA will continue to work diligently to educate visitors about the responsibility that they share with our residents to mālama (care for) our home."

About the Hawai'i Tourism Authority
The Hawai'i Tourism Authority is the State of Hawai'i agency responsible for strategically managing its support of the tourism industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawai'i's leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure tourism's sustainability and the benefits it brings to residents and communities statewide.

For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates from HTA (@HawaiiHTA) on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and its new YouTube Channel.

SOURCE Hawai‘i Tourism Authority