November 2025 Newsletter

Aloha HHA Members and Partners,

As we gather with our ʻohana for Thanksgiving, I am filled with immense gratitude for this industry and for the people who make it the heart of Hawaiʻi's economy.

My deepest thanks go to our dedicated HHA team and, most importantly, to every one of you, our members. This has been another year of navigating complex challenges, and your resilience, leadership, and commitment to your teams and our community are the foundation of our collective success.

This Thanksgiving is also a moment to extend a special and heartfelt mahalo to a true icon in our industry, Debi Bishop, who will be retiring from Hilton on January 1st. Debi’s career is nothing short of inspirational. She is a fierce and compassionate leader who rose from the ranks to eventually lead the Hilton Hawaiian Village—the largest Hilton in the world. Her steady hand guiding that vital property through the unprecedented crisis of the COVID pandemic, tough union negotiations, and a changing global tourism economy all while earning countless accolades, is a testament to her character and strength. Ms. Bishop was one of the founding members of the Hawai’i Hotel Alliance and our Treasurer from inception. Debi has been a powerful and unwavering voice for our entire industry, and we congratulate her on a remarkable career and wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement. We will miss her always and count on her wisdom for the next years ahead.

My thanks also go to the tens of thousands of employees our members invest in every day. They are the face of aloha, and their hard work, dedication, and service are a direct investment in the success and prosperity of our state.

This spirit of investment is what will define our path forward. As we look to 2026, we have a critical agenda ahead of us. We must continue to champion the need for smart, strategic reinvestment in Hawaiʻi—policies that protect our most precious natural assets and ensure we can compete effectively on a global stage to keep our economy strong.

Our success in this mission will depend on our ability to work together, collaboratively. As an industry, we must continue to move forward with a single, shared message that highlights our deep commitment to the long-term success of our state. We are more than an industry; we are a community, and a healthy visitor industry is essential for a healthy Hawaiʻi.

My gratitude is especially deep for you, our operators, owners, and employees. Despite depressed marketing spend for five calendar cycles, tariffs, currency challenges, the devastating impacts of wildfires in both Maui and Los Angeles, a loss of airlift, an economic scare, and the looming loss of group sales from the convention center's upcoming closure—you, our membership, have continued to provide a world-class tourism product. You have supported our communities and reaffirmed Hawaiʻi as the best visitor destination in the world. Your incredible work and resiliency makes all this possible.

Thank you for your continued membership and unwavering support of the HHA. Thank you for your partnership, your vision, and for all that you do. I wish you, your families, and your teams a safe, restful, and happy Thanksgiving.

Jerry Gibson

President, Hawaiʻi Hotel Alliance

Click HERE to view the full newsletter.