Posted on: Friday, May 2, 2003

Tourism summit still closed to the public

As it turns out, Gov. Linda Lingle's tourism summit is continuing behind closed doors. We had hoped it was a one-time deal.

But apparently, committees formed to discuss critical topics such as increasing flights, accountability, strategic planning and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, want to do it in private — at least this month.

We would submit, again, that tourism policy impacts a much broader group than the one invited to the summit, and should be openly discussed.

Eric Gill, the financial secretary and treasurer of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 5, has complained that unions representing thousands of Hawai'i hotel workers were not invited to the summit.

"To exclude the voice of the local people working in tourism from discussions regarding our collective future is unconscionable and bad public policy," he said.

That speaks for us.