Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Corporate body

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

• DBED
• DBEDT

1963-05-16 / [present]

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism was established in 1963 by merger of the existing Department of Economic Development and Department of Planning and Research into the Department of Planning and Economic Development. Renamed the Department of Business and Economic Development effective July 1, 1987, upon the transfer of the department's traditional planning function to the Office of State Planning, and to reflect a change in focus in the department from planning to actively fostering a healthy
business environment. Renamed again as the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, effective July 1, 1990, to highlight the importance of tourism in the Hawaii
economy and the department's new role in promoting and marketing the tourism industry.

Highlights:
1965: Administrative Services Office established.
1966: Foreign Trade Zone Division established.
1967: Hawaii International Services Agency ( division) established. Both new divisions were intended to foster trade and commerce, attract investment and find markets for Hawaii products.
1973: Office of Information and Public Services renamed the Office of Information.
1975: Land Use Division established to interface with the Land Use Commission. Energy Management and Conservation Office established. Policy Council (more commonly known as the "State Plan Policy Council") established to represent a broad spectrum of interests in the long-range planning process; in practice attached to the department for administrative purposes.
1976: Energy Management and Conservation Office renamed the State Energy Office. 1980: State Energy Office reorganized as the Energy Division.
1984: Business and Industry Development Division replaced the Economic Development Division. Hawaii International Services Agency, the Hawaii Film Office, the Ocean Resources Office and the Tourism Office were added as branches.
1987: Land Use Division disestablished. Planning Division renamed the Office of State Planning and transferred to the Governor's Office. The Office of State Planning took over administrative support for the Policy Council. Business and Industry Development Division divided into the Business Development and Marketing Division, the Business Services Division and the Industry Promotion Division, which included the Tourism Branch. Special Projects Office established.
988: Special Projects Office renamed the Office of Space Industry.
1989: Tourism Branch renamed the Office of Tourism and placed in the Director's Office. Information Office renamed the Communications and Publications Office.
1994: Office of Space Industry incorporated into the Business Development and Marketing Division.
1996: Industry Promotion Division disestablished and its functions distributed to either the Business Development and Marketing Division or the Business Services Division. Energy Division renamed the Energy, Resources and Technology Division to reflect the scope of its responsibilities. Office of State Planning renamed the Office of Planning, removed from the Governor's Office and attached to the department for administrative purposes.
By 2001, the department was organized into five divisions: Business Development and Marketing, Business Support, Energy, Resources and Technology, Foreign Trade Zone, and Research and Economic Analysis; and three offices: Administrative Services, Communications and Publications, and Hawaii Tourism. Eleven agencies, such as the Land Use Commission and the Hawaii Community Development Authority, were attached for administrative purposes.

Functions: The department is established to support business, create jobs, and improve Hawaii's standard of living, by diversifying the economy, expanding existing business and attracting new economic activity. Its major functions are to:
• Plan, organize, direct and coordinate programs relating to statewide economic development, energy development and management, and research and economic analysis.
• Assist new and existing businesses in the State through a variety of promotional and informational services.
• Conduct marketing programs to promote the state as a place to do business.
• Develop and guide the State's tourism policies within the broad context of the visitor industry.
• Assist small business enterprises and the local commercial fishing industry by providing loans.
• Develop and analyze plans for the total and optimum development of Hawaii's
marine resources based on needs and goals of the State.
• Promote Hawaii as a filming location for Mainland and overseas film companies.
• Direct, plan, evaluate and coordinate space-related activities in the State.
• Operate Foreign Trade Zone no. 9 where foreign and domestic merchandise may be stored, exhibited, manufactured, assembled, re-labeled, exported, or imported at
considerable savings.
• Provide data and analysis to assist in the economic planning and decision-making of the State.
Complete lists of program goals are contained in Chapters 196,201, 225M and 226, HRS.

Revised Laws of Hawaii: 1945, Ch 93; 1957 Supp, Ch. 28A
Hawaii Revised Statutes: §26-18 and Title13 (1968, 1976, 1985, 1993, 2000 Supp) Session Laws of Hawaii: Act 20, SLH 1917; Act 225, SLH 1919; Act 207, SLH 1937; Act 264, SLH 1955; Act 150, SLH 1957; Act 1, 2nd Spl Session, SLH 1959; Act 132, SLH 1961; Act 2, SLH 1963; Act 189, SLH 1975; Act 100, SLH 1978; Act 239, SLH 1983; Act 236, SLH 1984; Act 336, SLH 1987; Act 293, SLH 1990; Act 76, SLH 1991; Act 299, SLH 1996

ISO 8601

Draft

2002-01-30, Allen Hoof: prepared finding aid.

2022-01-06, Carol Kellett: Entered into AtoM from DBEDT Finding Aid.