KVB - January 2026

Full closure of Waimea Canyon Drive

LĪHUʻE, Hawaiʻi – The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) notifies road users of the daily full closure of the Waimea Canyon Drive (Route 550) between Panini Place and Kōkeʻe Road from Monday, January 5 through Friday, February 27, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Traffic needing to access Kōkeʻe State Park will be detoured to Kōkeʻe Road; local traffic will be allowed. These closures are necessary for the contractor to do pavement reconstruction and resurfacing of Waimea Canyon Drive. Variable message boards have been posted to alert road users.

Island Chapter Update

Attention all Kaua‘i Partners! The Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau will be attending several consumer trade shows in Q1 & Q2 of 2026 including Seattle (January), Phoenix (February), Chicago (February) and Denver (April). At these shows, destination information will be provided and the call to action will be on the the Consumer Special Offers page: Special Offers for Hawai‘i Visitors – Save on Hotels, Tours & More

Participation is free, but offers must meet the following minimum criteria:

Hotels: A minimum of 20% off the standard rack rate OR a 5th night free (when the customer pays for a maximum of 4 consecutive nights)
Rental Cars: Free upgrade, subject to availability
Activities, Tours: Minimum discount of 20% off the regular, publicly available price

To maintain the integrity and appeal of the program, offers must clearly state the required discount in the title or description and must be available to all customers.

Offers can be submitted via Extranet. Click here for printed instructions.

Destination Management

The next iteration of the Kauaʻi Destination Management Plan (DMAP) is in progress. Following extensive community outreach that began in September on the West and East sides of Kauaʻi, including a Community Input Meeting in November in Hanalei, this initial engagement period is now complete.

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) utilized the resident priorities and input gathered, along with feasibility assessments from government partners, to complete the first draft of DMAP for all six islands. These drafts are now undergoing internal review and will be shared with each islands respective Advisory Groups in December. Broader community feedback on the first drafts will be solicited through planned in-person and virtual meetings for Kauaʻi in February 2026.

Kaua‘i Events:

For more events, please visit www.gohawaii.com and www.kauaifestivals.com