Christine Hitt
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) wants visitors to know that they do not need to cancel or postpone their trip because of the federal government shutdown.
"Travel to and within the Hawaiian Islands remains largely unaffected by the federal government shutdown," the HTA said in an announcement.
The latest information is that all state and county facilities are open and operating normally, including state parks, county parks, public beaches and public trails.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is open with limited services, however, the Kahuku unit area of the park is closed. Haleakala National Park is also still open with limited services. As always, advance reservations are required for sunrise viewing at the top of Haleakala. Pearl Harbor National Memorial remains open.
If there's a specific national refuge or national historic park a traveler wants to visit, they should call ahead to check if it is open.
So far, it's business as usual at airports. "Flights to the Hawaiian Islands and within the state are expected to remain largely unaffected," the HTA said in an announcement. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are continuing to work during the shutdown, but travelers may expect longer wait times.
Island hopper Mokulele Airlines said it will continue to "fly all our scheduled flights which include Essential Air Service routes despite the currently federal government shutdown and potential pause in EAS funding."
Flyers on any airline should call ahead before going to the airport to see if there are any changes.