Hawaii Tourism Authority president and CEO John De Fries announced that he has declined an extension to his contract and will be stepping down from his position on Sept. 15.
De Fries took the HTA position in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. He led an operational restructuring and an island-by-island creation of destination-management plans. He was an advocate of building a regenerative-tourism model.
"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," said De Fries in a press release. "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 Hawaii."
Chief administrative officer Daniel Nahoopii will serve as interim president.