Concerns loom as Hawaii hotels post strong August

Hotel revenue and average room rates in Hawaii surpassed 2019 levels in August despite persistent worries about the coronavirus and Gov. David Ige’s discouragement of nonessential visitation. “The rise in COVID-19 cases and subsequent hospitalizations caused by the Delta variant reminds us that we’re still in a fluid situation as we approach the seasonally slower fall period for travel,” said John De Fries of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.