(AP) — New federal rules for international travelers are expected to help Hawaiʻi’s crippled tourism industry. The state’s international market has been nearly nonexistent since the pandemic largely shut down travel. The White House last week loosened rules that previously prohibited some foreign travelers from coming to the U.S. Now foreign visitors can come if they can show proof of vaccination and produce a negative COVID-19 test. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the changes could bring back international travel to the islands. It is down 97% compared to before the pandemic. Hawaiʻi currently only requires proof of vaccination or a single pre-flight COVID-19 test for mainland and some international travelers.

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