Hawaii lawmakers are drawing up a game plan to find out whether sports tourism is really worth the hype and the headaches.
On Thursday, they advanced a bill that would direct the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to study whether sports tourism delivers a net economic benefit for the state. The proposal wraps the future of the new Aloha Stadium into a broader look at how many more sports events, including possible professional teams, Hawaii can realistically host without overloading nearby neighborhoods or existing infrastructure.
What’s in the bill
SB2577 hands DBEDT a wide brief. The department would have to tally net direct and indirect revenues, pinpoint small and emerging events that attract high spending visitors, and propose ways to blunt traffic, noise and other community impacts. The study would also assess whether the planned new Aloha Stadium and the University of Hawaiʻi’s athletics program are positioned to support sports tourism, examine the state’s capacity to handle professional sports, look at potential effects on youth development, and consider any other relevant factors DBEDT identifies, as laid out in the bill text SB2577.
Price tag and timeline
DBEDT told a Senate committee that the work would likely require hiring a research firm and “could be in excess of $350,000,” and it urged lawmakers to push the report’s delivery date into late 2027 to allow for procurement. The committee advanced the measure this month and left final budget language for the powerful Ways and Means panel to sort out. The cost estimate came in written testimony from the department DBEDT testimony, and the bill’s movement was first noted by Pacific Business News.
Why lawmakers care
Tourism boosters argue that sports events can pull in higher spending visitors during slower shoulder seasons and help diversify who comes to the islands, a line of thinking that has underpinned earlier Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority investments. HTA and retail industry groups told legislators that having consistent data would let the state be pickier about which events to chase and how to weigh community benefits against costs. As the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has reported, HTA has already kicked the tires on pro team partnerships and other high profile sports programming in recent years.
Aloha Stadium and the redevelopment
The timing is not accidental. The old Aloha Stadium is coming down while the state pushes ahead with the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District that is supposed to replace it. Demolition of the stadium bowl started late last year, and the Legislature has already put substantial money behind NASED, which envisions a scaled, mixed use stadium and surrounding development in Halawa. Spectrum News Hawaii and the official NASED project page lay out the demolition timeline and funding details.
Next steps
The bill now heads into broader budget talks, where lawmakers will decide whether to attach a specific dollar amount. As written, the measure instructs DBEDT to deliver its report no later than twenty days before the 2027 regular legislative session convenes. If the money shows up, DBEDT would put out a competitive request for proposals and come back with recommendations that lawmakers say should spell out which sports events Hawaii can responsibly pursue and what kind of public support they would need. The bill text details the reporting requirements and study scope in full SB2577, and the committee record tracks testimony and votes so far on the measure LegiScan.
