By ALLISON SCHAEFERS The Honolulu Star-Advertiser/TNS
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The Hawaii Tourism Authority is requesting that the governor declare a tourism emergency in the wake of devastating wildfires in Maui and Hawaii counties, and if approved it would be the first such declaration and allow the agency to tap into a $5 million special fund.

A state law allows the HTA board to request the governor to declare a tourism emergency if a recent catastrophic event “adversely affects Hawaii’s tourism industry by resulting in a substantial interruption in the commerce of the State and adversely affecting the welfare of its people.”

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If Gov. Josh Green approves HTA’s request it would be the first time that the state law has been used to declare a tourism emergency. Green’s approval would give HTA the ability to tap into a $5 million emergency special tourism fund.

HTA Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Naho’opi’i said, “Prioritizing the use of these assets effectively is critical to HTA’s short-term response to the emergency, and longer-term implications for the state, its economy and its people.”

While the cost to human life is the gravest impact of the wildfires, preliminary analysis from the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism anticipates significant compounding economic losses statewide from lost business operations and reductions in visitors.

Per-day losses include:

— $8.5 million in total sales revenues.

— $2.9 million in household income.

— $1.05 million in direct visitor spending.

— $1.96 million in lost sales with multiplier effects.

— $535,500 in household income.

— $414,000 in state revenue.

— $121,800 in state taxes.

“For the loss from business operations, the sale revenue loss is statewide since Lahaina businesses did need to purchase supplies from other parts of the state,” said Eugene Tian, chief state economist. “Household income is also statewide, tax revenues are statewide as well.”

Tian said as many as 10,000 direct jobs also have been lost in Lahaina for the period that businesses are not in operation.