The fee for tourists to enter Hanauma Bay is about to go up

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - This week, tourists will have to pay more to get into Hanauma Bay.

Starting Thursday, the entry fee for non-residents over the age of 12 is going up to $25. That’s a $13 increase from the current price of $12.

Admission will still remain free for kama’aina, keiki 12 and under, along with active duty military.

The city says the additional revenue will go toward improving and managing resources at the Nature Preserve.

“All the money that’s made from the entrance fees goes back into the maintenance, the education, the conservation efforts. So we need to maintain that source of funding in order to keep it the thriving attraction, not just for recreational enjoyment, but for conservation and to make it such a beautiful place in perpetuity,” Department of Parks and Recreation spokesman Nate Serota said.

The fee hike is the second major change in admission to the bay in a matter of months.

In late April, the city launched an online reservation system to limit attendance to protect the fragile ecosystem and with spots filling quickly on a daily basis, the preserve is slowly allowing walk-in visits.

“About 25% of the slots for going down into the bay are reserved for drive-ins and walk-ins,” Serota explained. “So for people who don’t have internet access or are unable to make an online reservation, you can still come in and drive in in-person.”

The city is also exploring options to potentially bring a booking and payment system to other visitor sites.

“We’re looking at different ways to have revenue come in and one of the big things with Hanauma Bay is it’s free for locals and we charge the non-local residents to enter the bay,” Serota said. “We’re looking at something like that at other locations because we want local people to enjoy these facilities as much as possible.”

Parking per vehicle at Hanauma remains at $1 for locals and $3 for non-residents.

Copyright 2021 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.