Hawaii plans to raise taxes on tourists staying in hotels and rentals starting Jan 1, 2026. The move, the first of its kind at the state level in the US, will bring the total room tax rate to nearly 19 percent, one of the highest in the US. The tax hike will raise 100 million dollars (about 723 million yuan) a year for programs like beach repair and wildfire prevention. While the hotel industry has mixed feelings about the new rule, the state government believes it is needed because Hawaii has long faced heavy environmental pressure from too many tourists. The government also plans to use the tax revenue (收入) to maintain a large network of trails.