The Maui News

John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, will be leaving his post later this year, he announced on Thursday.

De Fries made the announcement during HTA’s Board of Directors special meeting, saying he will not be accepting an extension of his three-year employment contract that ends Sept. 15, a news release said. The board had previously invited De Fries to consider an extension of his contract at a March 30 meeting.

“It has been an honor to serve the communities and people of our islands these past three years and I will support the board and staff during this transition in leadership of HTA,” De Fries said. “I am incredibly proud of our passionate, unwavering team of professionals at HTA and all that is being accomplished in our communities to improve the well-being of Hawai’i.”

De Fries took the helm at HTA amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020, when the state imposed a self-quarantine requirement for travelers and when visitor spending and arrivals were nearly at a standstill.

“John has done an admirable job fulfilling his three-year contract during the most challenging period in recent Hawai’i history,” said HTA Board Chairman George Kam.

De Fries also led an operational restructuring beginning in June 2021, continuing HTA’s pivot from an agency that was primarily focused on marketing to a more effective destination management organization.

The agency’s refocused approach has come amid backlash from residents concerned about the growing impacts of tourism on the islands’ limited resources. Earlier this year, state lawmakers floated a bill to disband HTA and replace it with a new state-run tourism office focused on destination management, but the measure did not pass.